Who I Am
by DrawnToTheRhythm
Summary: College life can throw you some curveballs but it's easier to deal with when old friends have your back. Troy/Ryan friendship/*SLASH*
1. The Break up

Disclaimer: I don't own HSM or any of the characters I'm just borrowing them for my own amusement. Please don't sue I'm poor and write only for fun.

**This story will eventually contain slash (i.e. a romantic Ryan/Troy relationship) If that offends you then please read no further.**

You have been duly notified. Happy reading!

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Troy lay alone on his bed, the soft strains of music playing from his stereo. He'd listened to the song over and over, for how long he wasn't sure but it didn't matter. He just wanted to stay here in his bedroom with the door locked forever. Or at least until it didn't hurt to breathe anymore.

_When you're dreaming with a broken heart  
The giving up is the hardest part _

He knew it was over but he couldn't bring himself to say the words out loud. He felt guilty for walking out but what other choice had he had? She had told him she didn't love him anymore, there was no point begging her to stay. At this point his pride was the only thing he had left.

_  
She takes you in with your crying eyes  
Then all at once you have to say goodbye  
Wondering could you stay my love?  
Will you wake up by my side?  
No she can't, 'cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone...._

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_The Previous Day:_

"Troy, I need to tell you something and I think you should sit down... I can't be with you anymore."

Troy sat down on Gabriella's bed as though he'd been slapped and stared blankly at the floor.

"I – what?! I don't understand, what happened?" Gabby hesitated but it was enough to tell Troy everything he needed to know. "There's someone else, isn't there?" She nodded and bowed her head.

"Troy, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen and I never meant to hurt you like this but I thought it would be worse to carry on pretending."

He clenched his hands into fists so that his nails were digging into his palms. He glared up at Gabriella, his eyes glistening.

"Do I know him?"

"God, no! He's a guy I met at college, his name is Cody." When he didn't say anything, Gabby bit her lip. "I, I don't know what else to say except I'm sorry."

Troy stood and stared down at her, his height giving him the advantage.

"I guess there's nothing else to say. I love you, Gabby, but that was never enough for you, was it?"

Gabby refused to meet his gaze.

"I loved you for a long time, you were the first guy I ever loved and you will always be special to me but I need some time to find out who I am. I'm so sorry, I never wanted to hurt you. I hope we can still be friends."

Troy shrugged and stepped back.

"Maybe we can be but right now I need some time to figure this out." They both stared at each other and Troy almost reached out to her when her silent tears began to fall but stopped himself at the last minute. "Bye, Gabby."

And he walked out of the door, leaving a sobbing Gabriella behind him.

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A/N: The wonderful lyrics at the top belong to Mr John Mayer.


	2. In Good Company

Troy awoke to a soft knock on his bedroom door. He sat up groggily and scrubbed his hands across his face.

"Troy, honey, you have some visitors," his mother called through his closed door, "Are you up for seeing them?" When he grunted some kind of acquiescence the door slowly opened and Chad's face appeared.

"Hey man, you up for some company?" he asked tentatively. Troy nodded dejectedly and Chad opened the door a little wider and stepped inside followed by someone in a brightly coloured fedora. He removed his hat to reveal his bright blue eyes which were filled with sympathy for the sight of the lost basketball star which met his eyes.

Both boys stared at Troy, neither wanting to break the silence. Troy was the first to speak.

"Hey Ry," He said in a faux cheerful tone, "how's Kelsi?"

Ryan wrung his hat in his hands awkwardly before realising how uncomfortable it made him look; he placed it down on the nearest flat surface.

"She's good thanks, though she misses everyone. We both do. She said to say hello."

Chad didn't say a word, mostly because he didn't know where to start with his friend.

"So, I guess you heard, huh?" Troy asked, looking at his visitors expectantly. They both nodded.

"I'm sorry, Troy, none of us expected it to end like that. It was totally out of left field," Chad said with a sympathetic grimace. "We just wanted you to know, well, we're here for you."

Troy's eyes lit up dimly.

"Thanks guys, it means a lot. I just... don't understand what I did wrong, you know? I had no idea! How could I not have seen this coming?"

"Hey, girls are weird, who knows why they do the things they do? It sucks but you couldn't have known. You can't be there 24/7. Sometimes people just change when we aren't looking."

"I know, I just wish I'd had a bit more time to get used to it, you know?"

Ryan stared at the floor.

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't think it would have made it hurt any less." Troy's eye line was suddenly drawn up to Ryan's face which was suspiciously solemn and Ryan refused to meet Troy's gaze for a few seconds before risking a glance up and looking at both of his friends. "Cal," he said by way of an explanation, his eyes shining with a hollow emotion that neither boy could define. Troy's eyes softened in sympathy; Ryan looked exactly how he felt.

After a few moments of silence, Chad cleared his throat.

"Well, we'd better get going. My mum will kill me if I forget to pick up her dry-cleaning. I knew there was a reason you guys do your own laundry – apparently me bringing mine home automatically makes me Mr go-to around the house!" Troy almost smiled at Chad's attempt at humour.

"Yeah, my sister will be wondering where I am, she wanted me to go over her lines with her," Ryan continued and Troy nodded.

"I think I just need to be alone for a while, get my head 'round it." Chad and Ryan headed for the door. "Thanks for stopping by guys, it means a lot."

The guys shared a knowing almost-smile before nodding informally at each other and then Troy was once again left alone with his thoughts.

He shook his head wistfully and turned to resume his spot lying on top of his duvet when his eye caught something lying on his bed; Ryan's hat. Troy picked it up and considered it for a moment; hats had always been Ryan's thing, Troy didn't think he could imagine him without them. It was good to know that some things hadn't changed. Just as he was about to chase after his guests there was a small knock at his door. Troy spun on his heel to find Ryan standing in the doorway.

"Sorry to bother you again but I forgot –"

"- your hat," Troy finished with a small half-smile, "here." Troy held it out and Ryan reached for it, their fingers brushing for a fleeting microsecond. Ryan smiled and gestured to his forgotten fed.

"Thanks, well at least you know why I own so many, Sharpay says it's not my head I need to worry about losing it's my accessories!" He said, trying to make light of the somber mood in the room.

Troy smiled, appreciative of Ryan's attempt at putting him at ease.

"Hey, it's cool. If you hadn't come back for it I was thinking about keeping it. What do you think? Should I invest in one?" Troy joked, giving Ryan an overstated swaggering 'check-me-out!' spin.

Ryan laughed and Troy grinned in return

"I think it wouldn't matter what you wore on your head, you could wear a morris dancer costume and still look hot!" Ryan's smiled faded to a shocked, wide-eyed stare as his brain caught up with his mouth. His cheeks turned fuschia and he tensed up expecting Troy to react. The reaction never came.

Troy raised an eyebrow and furrowed his brow.

"What's a morris dancer?" He asked, confused.

"Uh, it's, uh, a guy who dresses up in tight white trousers and shirt with ribbons and bells and pom-poms attached to his white pumps... it's a British thing," Ryan rambled embarrassed. The fuschia quickly spread to his ears and down his neck until it disappeared under his shirt. He almost crushed his hat between his fingers as he used it to distract his hands. "Anyway, I'd better go, Chad will be wondering where I got to," he said awkwardly once again and bolted for the door.

Troy reached out and grabbed it just as Ryan was about to make his exit.

"Hey, Ry," he said barely above a whisper and Ryan turned to face him, "Thanks," he finished and as he did so he tentatively gripped Ryan in a 'guy hug'. Ryan was so surprised by Troy's sudden invasion of his personal space that it took a few moments for him to respond. Ryan reached up and gently patted Troy on his shoulder. When Troy didn't let go after a few seconds Ryan started to relax and the awkwardness was replaced by a strange comfort as Troy buried his head in the crook of Ryan's neck for an all-too-brief moment before releasing him and taking a step back. Ryan cleared his throat.

"Well, I'd best be...," he trailed off, gesturing at the door.

"Sure thing," Troy finished, "I meant it, Ry, thanks for being here for me."

Ryan nodded and smiled warmly at Troy who responded in kind, before slipping out of the door and closing it behind him. Troy crashed on his bed; it was weird, he didn't feel as quite as bad as he had before his visitors arrived. It was good to see Ryan again, he mused, he'd forgotten quite how much he'd missed the blue eyed jazz king being around. He smiled to himself as he drifted off into the first peaceful sleep he'd had in days.

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A/N: So, thoughts anyone? Good? Awful? I'd love to know what you think and whether I should continue. No flames please, if you don't like slash please don't keep reading this, you have been duly warned.


	3. What You Least Expect

"Troy! If you're not ready to leave in the next 30 seconds I'm leaving without you!"

Mrs Bolton called from the hallway as she wrapped a black sequined pashmina around her shoulders. The thud of steps could be heard and moments later Troy came thundering down the stairs, struggling to get an arm into his suit jacket.

"Ok, ok, I'm here! Where's Dad?" Troy asked impatiently.

"His meeting overran, he said he'll meet us there. Now come on, let's go. I don't think the Evans' annual Christmas dinner is the time for us to be fashionably late!"

And with that his mother swept out of the house ushering a bemused Troy in front of her. Quite why they'd been invited to this thing he wasn't sure. It wasn't the first time his family had visited the Evans household, especially given Mr Bolton and Ms Darbus' frequent disagreements about the drama department, but their infamous Christmas formal was usually only for the rich, famous and privileged. Troy was more than a little bewildered that the "lowly" Boltons had been invited. Of course, his father had seen it as a sign that Troy's basketball career had taken a promising turn towards inevitable fame and fortune. When they'd received the invitation Jack Bolton had raved for three days straight about what a great opportunity it would be for Troy to mingle with the rich and famous; a chance to show off his skills to the sort of investors who would eventually lead to sponsorship and endorsement contracts and seven figure pay checks. Troy just saw it as a night he would have to spend avoiding the pawing clutches of the female half of the Evans twins.

_Oh well, at least Ryan will be there_, he thought to himself. His sister may have been a bit of a self-absorbed plastic but a few summers earlier Troy had discovered that, contrary to his previous belief that Ryan was merely Sharpay's poodle, he was actually quite a cool guy. He and Troy turned out to have a lot in common – a lot which included not only drama and singing but also, surprisingly, baseball. In Troy's book, a guy who didn't judge his love for the dramatic arts was a cool friend to have and the fact that he liked sports too was just an added bonus.

Troy was pulled out his musings by his mother switching off the engine; they had arrived. Approaching the door to the Evans' mansion was still ever-so-slightly intimidating even now but the doors were wide open and there were at least a hundred people here by Troy's reckoning, most of them having driven or been chauffeured in very expensive-looking cars.

_Dad wasn't wrong about the connections_, Troy mused as he spotted the LA Lakers' coach and his wife walking up the steps and being greeted warmly by Mr and Mrs Evans. The night was going to be a long one Troy could tell.

"Isn't this exciting?" His mother quietly exclaimed to Troy, "It's not often you get invited to a party whose guests include the Lakers' coach!"

Troy abruptly turned to face his mother with a puzzled frown across his face. He knew she was enthusiastic about his and his Dad's obsession with basketball but he had no idea that his mother actually paid any attention to the specifics of the game. Seeing the look on Troy's face, Mrs Bolton grinned.

"You didn't think your father would let me miss a detail like that, did you?"

Troy shrugged. Trust his father to do a little research before attending!

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It had been several hours since Troy had arrived and so far he hadn't seen a trace of either half of the Twins. It was a little odd, especially since Sharpay never seemed to miss a chance to harass Troy. Dinner had been pretty uneventful, although having seen the huge number of people the Evans' had managed to fit into their dining room he was beginning to think that they could hold an entire NBA basketball tournament in there. Troy stood quietly with an untouched glass of champagne in his hand surveying the crowd when a firm hand grasped his shoulder. Troy instantly spun round at the sudden gesture.

"Troy Bolton?" The fit but much older man extended a hand. "Phil Jackson, Lakers' head coach."

Troy bit back a grin and looked shell-shocked that the guy was actually introducing himself before eagerly returning the handshake.

"No introduction needed, Sir, it's an honour to meet you!"

The older man chuckled at Troy's slightly star-struck expression.

"So, I hear you're quite the star around here," he continued, "I'm always on the lookout for fresh talent and I hear you're about the best there is, if Mr Evans' opinion is anything to go by!"

Troy was speechless. That not only had a man of such standing had taken the time to listen to advice about him but almost as much by the fact that one of the Evans' parents had actually paid him a compliment!

"Well, Sir, that depends on who you ask," Troy replied, not quite sure how else to respond.

"Nonsense, son, from what I hear you are destined for big things. Now, how about we meet for lunch to discuss exactly how we're going to get started on this career of yours?"

Troy just stared wide-eyed with his mouth agape.

"I believe what Troy means, Sir, is he would look forward to it!" Mr Bolton answered, appearing from behind a large group of people. "Jack Bolton," he said proudly extending his hand, "It's an honour, Mr Jackson."

Phil smiled and shook Jack's hand.

"Phil, please. Wildcats coach?" He asked with an approving nod as he turned back to Troy, "No wonder you're such a legendary Playmaker with this man as your father!" Troy just smiled awkwardly while his father positively beamed like a kid at Christmas next to him. "Now, about that lunch, how does two weeks tomorrow work for you?"

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Mr Jackson had left Troy with his business card and an almighty grin on his face standing at the foot of the Evans' mansion's enormous spiral staircase with an appointment to 'do lunch' in California after the holidays. When he was sure that the star Coach was out of sight and earshot Troy jumped and punched the air exclaiming rather loudly. He was so busy staring at the business card he now held in his hand that he didn't notice someone sneak up behind him.

"Someone's having a good time!"

Troy jumped slightly at the sudden interruption and when he looked up to see who was speaking to him he was face to face with Ryan, who was dressed up flawlessly in a crisp white trouser suit with a black shirt and hot pink silk tie. His blonde hair was slightly spiked and his blue eyes shone, highlighted by the paleness of the suit. Troy couldn't help but think that it was a good look for Ryan. He coughed to clear his head of that thought and beamed at Ryan, gesturing to the card in his hand.

"I just met Phil Jackson. He gave me his card and promised to meet with me after the holidays! Man, I had no idea how great this party was going to turn out to be! Remind me to thank your father next time I see him," Troy exclaimed, his enjoyment plain to see across his face. Ryan smiled back and shrugged his shoulders, his hands rooted firmly in his pockets.

"I knew as soon as I saw him at the club last weekend that you two would have a lot to talk about. I'm glad it all worked out as well as I'd hoped."

Troy's face crumpled in confusion.

"What...wait...it was you who put in a good word for me?!" Ryan smiled almost coyly and nodded almost imperceptibly. "But why?" The words were out of Troy's mouth before he could stop them.

"Because you're my friend," Ryan began, suddenly feeling slightly warm with embarrassment, "and because you really are as good as those Lakers. Have you ever seen you out there on the court? You come alive!" Ryan placed a hand on Troy's arm. "You may be a fabulous performer on stage but you shine just as much when you play ball, Playmaker."

Troy didn't know what to say. He'd heard all of this from Phil but he'd assumed that the Mr Evans he was talking about had been Ryan's father, not Ryan. Not the shy guy with an incredible talent for performing arts not to mention a wardrobe that made even Troy wish he'd been born into a slightly more affluent family.

"Wow, Ryan, I...wow. Thank you." Troy couldn't think of a higher compliment to be given and the fact that Ryan had been the one to offer it touched Troy with a force of emotion he hadn't expected. Ryan, suddenly realising he was still gripping Troy's arm, abruptly let go and his hand dropped to his side. Troy grinned at Ryan and Ryan responded with an equally bright smile.

"Man, I can't thank you enough for this!" Troy exclaimed, "Thanks buddy," and before he could stop himself he grabbed Ryan's hand and pulled him into his chest in a one-armed hug of solidarity. Troy patted Ryan's back firmly as Ryan looked shocked at the sudden contact but hugged back with equal ferocity.

At that moment Jack Bolton appeared behind the two boys. Troy, upon spotting him, slowly let go of Ryan and stepped back but not before patting his shoulder once more.

"Dad! Mr Jackson gave me his business card!" He exclaimed and Jack Bolton grinned.

"Well, son, you seem to have made quite an impression on the guy. Congratulations!"

"I didn't do anything, Dad, it was all Ryan."

It was then that Jack Bolton fully noticed the slim blonde standing before him and smiled in greeting.

"Mr Bolton, it's good to see you again," Ryan offered politely.

"You too, Ryan. What's this about you having a hand in all of this?"

Ryan shook his head depreciatively and was about to deny the enormity of his role but Troy beat him to it.

"Ryan was the one who put in a good word for me with Mr Jackson! If it weren't for him I wouldn't be standing here with his card in my hand."

Jack Bolton gave Ryan an appraising one over and grinned.

"Well, well, I guess we owe Ryan a massive debt!" He exclaimed, "I mean it, son," he said, addressing Ryan directly, "you probably have no idea what you just did for Troy. Thank you," and with that Jack held out his hand which Ryan shook with a slightly taken aback expression. He'd never imagined the day when the Wildcats coach would regard him with anything more than mild disinterest – after all, he wasn't exactly great at basketball and hardly anyone knew about his relative successes in the little league.

"So Ryan, I hear you throw a mean pitch," Jack announced much to Ryan's surprise, "Troy and I were going to take a trip to the batting cages this weekend, what do you say? Fancy giving it a swing?"

Ryan's eyes grew wide as saucers before he nodded eagerly.

"That would be great, Mr Bolton, thank you."

Mr Bolton chuckled at Ryan's evident shock at being asked.

"Jack, please. And, considering what you did for my son it's nothing at all!"

Mrs Bolton appeared by Jack's side holding their jackets.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt you boys but we really must get going. We've got a busy day tomorrow sorting out gifts!" It was then that she noticed Ryan. "Oh, was I interrupting something? I'm so sorry I didn't know you were busy." She beamed at Ryan, "Hello, Ryan, it's good to see you again."

Ryan responded with a polite smile.

"Good evening, Mrs Bolton. It's a pleasure, as always."

Mrs Bolton smiled shyly at the compliment. Few people would have suspected it but when Ryan turned on the charm he could really work it. Both Troy and Mr Bolton nodded.

"Well, I'll just escort your mother to the car, don't be too long Troy," Mr Bolton said matter-of-factly and then as he retreated, "Don't forget Saturday, Ryan, we'll pick you up at 9 o'clock sharp!"

"Sure thing, Mr Bolton, thanks again!" Ryan called after him.

"Not another word, it's the least we can do!" Mr Bolton called back, waving before he disappeared out of sight.

Ryan turned his attention back to Troy who appeared to be staring at him with a glazed over expression. Ryan frowned and stuck his hands back in his pockets. The sudden movement appeared to break Troy out of whatever trance he had been in.

"Well, I'd probably better follow them, you heard my mom we've got Christmas gifts to distribute tomorrow! Oh the joys of distant relatives who hand you florescent orange sweaters, and then expect you to be overjoyed!" Troy said sarcastically which prompted a laugh and a smile from Ryan.

"Ouch! I'm glad my family just send me spa vouchers!" Ryan replied, laughing at the clichéd joke.

They both sobered up and regarded one another, neither quite wanting to leave. Troy was the first to break the silence.

"Thanks for a great party, Ryan. I guess I'll be seeing you Saturday?"

Ryan nodded enthusiastically.

"9 o'clock sharp!" he said, imitating Mr Bolton which caused both boys to chuckle.

"Ok, then, catch you later. Bye Ry," he finished, gripping Ryan's shoulder for a moment. Ryan reached up and placed his hand over Troy's on his shoulder.

"Yeah, see you Saturday," he replied smiling shyly and then Troy was gone in a flash of black Armani suit.

Ryan watched as Troy walked down the front steps and out of view. Ryan had always loved Armani. Yeah that was exactly the reason why he'd just been unashamedly staring at Troy's firm, perfectly rounded ass on his way out, he told himself. Ryan groaned and ran his hands over his face and through his hair before spinning on his heel and running up the stairs two at a time. When he reached his bedroom he slammed and locked the door and collapsed on his bed. Of all the people to pique his interest it had to be the straighter-than-straight former Wildcats Captain! Ryan buried his face in his pillow. He didn't care that Sharpay would be looking for him, she'd just have to stage centre stage on her own; he knew he wouldn't be missed too much.

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Troy was glad of the cool evening air that hit him as he stepped outside. For some reason he was suddenly feeling very warm. His hand felt like it was on fire where Ryan had touched it just moments earlier. What was happening to him? He'd never felt this flustered around Ryan before. He walked to the car and silently opened the door, sitting in the back seat. His father started the engine as his mother turned to glance at Troy when her face turned into a frown.

"Are you ok, honey?" She asked gently, "You look a little flushed."

Before Troy could respond his father butted in.

"Of course he is, he just got offered a potential spot playing for the Lakers, isn't that right, son?"

Troy laughed awkwardly and nodded.

"Yeah, Dad's right. I'm just a little overwhelmed, mom. I'm fine, really."

Seemingly satisfied she turned back to face the road and Troy let go of the breath he hadn't realised he had been holding. Was his father right? Had it been the basketball legend that had got him so riled up? As much as he wanted to believe it he couldn't get the image of Ryan's hand over his out of his head, nor the fluttery feelings it had evoked in his stomach. Troy sunk down in his seat and turned to stare out of the window into the darkness. Ooh boy, he was in serious trouble.

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**A/N: I have a vague idea of where this is going but at this point the story seems to have taken on a life of its own. I hope I'm doing Ryan and Troy justice. **

**As always, reviews are much appreciated and thank you to my reviewers so far, it's good to know you're enjoying the story so far.**


	4. Hey Batter, Batter!

**A/N: I'm changing the rating of this story. This chapter isn't too graphic but there's a bit of swearing and some adult references so if you're offended by such things please read no further. The rating is probably going to get higher from here on in. Happy reading!**

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*CRACK*

The sound of ash hitting leather was almost deafening as Ryan sent yet another pitch flying out of the cage. Troy and Mr Bolton just stood and stared in awe. Ryan, completely oblivious to his audience's intense scrutiny, jumped on the spot, nodded his head from side to side and resumed his position ready to hit another home run. When the machine had run out of balls, Ryan turned and grinned at the Boltons.

"I forgot how much fun this was!" He exclaimed with a smile, "It's been a while since I last picked up a bat."

"Well, you'd never know it!" Mr Bolton said with an impressed nod before glaring accusingly at Troy, "Where have you been hiding this guy?"

Troy gaped like a fish as his eyes sought Ryan's for help. Ryan simply stared back at Troy, wiggling his eyebrows subtly, his eyes gleaming mischeviously at Mr Bolton's words. After a few moments Ryan took pity on Troy and came to his rescue. Walking towards Troy, Ryan slung an arm round his shoulder good-naturedly.

"Oh, don't blame Troy, Mr Bolton. To be fair he didn't know quite what my batting skills were. He missed the employee game a few summers ago so he's never actually seen me play." He turned his head to look Troy square in the eye, "If you think my batting skills are good you should see my skills with tossing a pitch!"

Troy's eyes narrowed at the sly expression on Ryan's face. No, he couldn't be... could he? As Troy stared a moment longer, Ryan didn't turn away from his intense gaze but instead raised an eyebrow. Troy suddenly erupted in a coughing fit and hastily stepped away from Ryan, allowing Ryan's arm to fall to his waist.

_Holy shit!_

If Troy didn't know any better he could've sworn Ryan was flirting with him! In front of his father as well! Troy turned to look at his father but he looked all-too nonplussed, apparently he was completely oblivious to the dual meaning of Ryan's words.

_Of course he is you moron! He doesn't know that his son is having... thoughts about another guy!_

To distract himself and distance himself from Ryan, Troy walked over to the bench and took a long drink of water. The water was warm and it did nothing to satisfy his thirst nevertheless it had served its purpose of getting him away from Ryan. That was until Ryan decided he was thirsty too.

Before he could stop him, Ryan had sauntered over to where Troy was standing. Reaching for his own bottle, Ryan shook it and placed it back down.

"Damn! I'm all out. Do you mind?" He asked, gesturing at the bottle in Troy's hand and before Troy could reply he'd snatched it out of his hand.

Troy was still recovering from the feel of Ryan's smooth fingers on his when Ryan tilted his head back, exposing his long, slender neck to Troy's eyeline and taking a long drink. Troy stared, his eyes drawn to the bobbing of Ryan's adams apple as he swallowed the water. When Ryan had finished, he placed the bottle back onto the bench and smiled innocently at Troy. Troy took a few moments to realise he was staring again and, glancing quickly at his father who was too busy collecting their bats and balls to notice the wandering eyes of his son, refused to meet Ryan's eyes.

"Erm, right Dad, that's our time up, isn't it?" Troy squeaked in a voice that was about an octave higher than usual. He covered it with a cough.

"Yeah unfortunately. Though we should do this again sometime it was good game!" He said grinning at both of them. "I'm just going to head back to the cage to return our bats, why don't you boys hit the showers?"

"Sure thing, Mr Bolton. Thanks for today!" Ryan replied and headed in the direction of the dressing rooms.

"Good, meet you boys outside in 20?" He asked but didn't wait for a response as he headed off in the other direction. Troy turned to face Ryan but he was already walking ahead. Troy followed the boy dressed all in white. As Ryan walked his hips sashayed in his trademark way that made Troy gulp. Yep, white was _definitely_ Ryan's colour!

Troy stopped mid-thought – what the hell was he thinking?! More than that, what the hell was he doing checking out Ryan's fine ass? And since when had he started mentally prefixing ideas about Ryan's ass with the word 'fine'? Shaking his head didn't help to clear his thoughts but right now he had more pressing issues to deal with – like, say, the communal showers! If his eyes were being drawn to Ryan in clothes how would he handle him naked?!

_I can think of one way I'd like to 'handle' that!_

He was floored by the audacity of his internal voice's alter ego. Apparently it was not his day.

_But Troy_, his internal voice screamed, _you're not gay! You like girls!_

Before he could finish that thought, Ryan's yell broke him out of his internal conflict.

"Oi! Bolton! We've only got twenty minutes, you gonna stand there all day?"

Troy shook his head and yelled back.

"Keep your shirt on, I'm coming!"

Ryan disappeared behind the door just as Troy mentally smacked himself for his choice of words. What was going on with him?! His internal voice, however, had other ideas.

_Smooth choice of words, however, I hasten to point out your subconscious (both of them!) and you are one and the same. As the wildcats say, we're all in this together! Now get your ass in gear before your Dad comes looking for you!_

_Oh, shut up!,_ He told his internal voice, _I'm coming!_

_Oh, you _wish_ you were_

the voice said before leaving a gobsmacked Troy standing alone in the middle of the path.

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**A/N: Now we're getting somewhere. Sorry it's taking so long to get to the good stuff but as I said, this story just seems to be dictating itself! I'd love to know what you think so far ******


	5. Locker Room Banter

By the time Troy had found his way to the locker room the only thing to be seen of Ryan was his neatly folded pile of kit on the bench next to his locker.

_Trust Ry, always so neat_, Troy mused.

He stripped with lightening speed, hastily throwing his own kit haphazardly on the bench and grabbing a towel from the shelf, wrapping it around his waist and revealing a well-tanned and toned torso. Playing college hoops had given him a few extra pounds of muscle since school, a fact which he didn't regret.

Turning the corner he stopped dead in his tracks. Ryan stood with his back to him and was currently lathering shampoo into his hair from a rather expensive-looking bottle. The bottle, however, was of little interest to Troy. Under the steaming jets, foamy lather slowly trailed down the arch of Ryan's back, stopping just shy of the pale curve of his-

At that moment Ryan turned and spotted Troy.

"Hey! I thought you'd got lost or something," he said innocently. Troy fumbled for a plausible explanation.

"Ah, no, I, uh, ran into an old friend in the hallway."

"Oh? Anyone I know?" Ryan inquired.

"Nah, it's an old friend from... cub scouts."

_Genius, Bolton! That didn't sound like a lie at all!_ His internal voice chastised.

Ryan looked shocked and impressed.

"You were a cub scout?"

Troy smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, way back when. I quit when I was ten." Well, at least that part wasn't a lie.

"Why'd you quit?"

Ryan really didn't seem to want to let it go, did he?

"I, uh, got bored. Too much camping in the hills with the insects and not enough ball games I guess."

A slow grin crept up onto Ryan's face and he began to chuckle to himself.

"That surprises me, I thought that was actually some weight behind that particular boy scout stereotype!" After a beat, and no reaction from Troy, Ryan's smile faded. "Erm... wrong audience."

The room was silent and Troy considered what he'd said with momentary confusion before realisation dawned. A furious blush quickly covered Troy's face and, if the heat was anything to go by, he could've sworn that it had spread as far as his toes within seconds.

"Err... hmm," was about the only verbal response that Troy could muster as he quickly slipped past Ryan and into an adjacent cubicle. The walls were only waist high but at least it stopped Troy from being able to see Ryan in his birthday suit entirety... unless he moved three steps to the lef-

_STOP IT!!!_ He chastised himself.

Ryan shrugged, closed his eyes and resumed his shower as Troy snuck one last lingering glance at Ryan's torso. Unfortunately Troy wasn't surreptitious enough because Ryan chose that moment to open his eyes and found himself observing Troy... sizing him up?!?

Ryan froze with his hands still in his hair. It took a beat for Troy to realise he'd been busted, the blush now threatening to turn him a shade of pink Ryan's infamous trousers would envy. He caught Ryan's eyes for only a millisecond but it was enough to send shivers down Ryan's spine. And then Troy turned away and the moment was gone.

Over on the opposite side of the showers, Troy closed his eyes as if just willing the ground to open up and swallow him... nope, not the right way to go, he thought, now is not a good time to be considering the concept of anything swall- *_CRASH*_

Ryan looked up sharply at the noise to find Troy scrabbling around on the floor to pick up the shower gel he had rather unceremoniously sent crashing to the floor in his haste to turn the shower to 'cold' – lord knew, he needed it!

"Hey, Troy, you ok over there?"

Troy waved a hand at him as he jumped back up.

"Er- I'm good, thanks! No need to come over here, I've just got slippery fingers is all!" He yelled without looking in Ryan's direction.

Ryan groaned to himself and turned his back on Troy who, thankfully, was too preoccupied with his toiletries to notice. Quite what was going on between him and the outwardly straight up Troy he didn't know but one thing he was certain of was that Troy had just provided him with a weeks' worth of sleepless nights in a single sentence.

Meanwhile Troy closed his eyes and gently smacked his head against the cool tiles behind the shower head – _and strike 3 for the Playmaker!_

..................................................................................................

**A/N: Sorry, I couldn't resist. The plot for this just sort of popped into my head and took up residency until I wrote it down. I know it's short but I'll write more soon.**


	6. The Greatest Thing You'll Ever Learn

Ryan disappeared silently into the locker room and Troy breathed a sigh of relief when her re-appeared a few moments later fully dressed and announced he would wait for Troy outside. Troy quickly turned off the water and got dressed alone.

.....................................................................................................

Ryan stood with his back and one foot leaning against the wall outside the locker room door. He began imagining Troy standing in there running the towel across his chest as a stray drop of water fell from his hair and slid seductively along his collarbone and down the crease between his pectoral muscles... gah! Ryan really needed to get a grip! However much his imagination liked to run away with him, Troy wasn't gay!

_And, even if he were he would never be interested in scrawny little Ryan Evans_, Ryan mused sadly to himself. Yet he was sure he wasn't imagining Troy staring at him earlier in the shower but he was probably just favourably comparing his own manly physique to Ryan's slender, un-tanned form. Troy re-appeared just as his father showed up.

"Ok boys, all ready to head home?" Mr Bolton enthused before heading in the direction of the car. He was the first to get in and he threw his kit bag onto the passenger seat just as troy was about to get in.

"Sorry, Troy, do you mind sitting in the back with Ryan? It's just I haven't had a chance to empty the truck of the golf clubs from last weekend's game?"

Troy stiffened his shoulders imperceptibly and nodded awkwardly.

"Sure, Dad. No worries."

Troy climbed in beside Ryan and sat in silence for most of the ride home. Ryan occasionally glanced over at Troy who would occasionally catch his gaze and then quickly look away. Neither spoke until they approached the Evans' gates.

"Thanks for a great day, Mr Bolton," Ryan said cheerily, "You too, Troy."

"No problem, Ryan, anytime you fancy some batting practice, just give us a call!" Jack Bolton enthused.

Troy refused to look up at Ryan which he took as a bad sign. Something was going on between him and Troy but he didn't know what it was and he was confused. Ryan knew that if he left it here then there was a good chance that Troy would become even more withdrawn and Ryan's window of opportunity to bring up the subject would be gone forever. Taking a glance at Troy's father Ryan decided to risk it.

"Um, Troy, I was wondering whether you fancied staying for dinner? My parents are away this weekend and Sharpay is staying at Taylor's but our Chef always prepares far too much. Do you fancy a guy's night in watching the Canucks play the Hurricanes?"

Troy hesitated when his father piped up

"I didn't know you were a hockey fan too, Ryan!" He turned to his son, "Your mother and I actually have plans for this evening so you would just be in on your own. How about it?"

Troy seemed torn between wanting to extend his time alone with Ryan and running for the nearest emergency exit.

"We have a 50" projector screen," Ryan offered in the hope of sweetening the deal a little. Troy knew as soon as the words were out of his mouth that he couldn't refuse without his father asking him some rather unwanted questions so reluctantly he agreed and stepped out of the car carrying his kit bag with him almost as a shield.

"Have a good evening Troy, call if you're planning on staying over won't you? You know how your mother worries!" Mr Bolton said with a smile before driving off and leaving the boys at the gates of the Evans' estate. Ryan punched in the code for the gate and gestured for Troy to go ahead.

"Thanks," Troy mumbled and headed towards the front door with Ryan in tow.

...................................................................................................................................

Troy had to admit that dinner had, once again, been excellent at Ryan's. They'd enjoyed steak followed by a delicious crème Brule that rivalled Zeke's. Once dinner had been finished, they headed down to the den. There was the aforementioned monster of a TV screen and surrounding it were several extremely comfortable looking sofas. Ryan switched the TV on just in time to see the first whistle of the game and, following Troy's lead took a seat on the sofa directly in front of the TV.

Throughout the game they were silent apart from the occasional offering of snacks and drinks to Troy by Ryan. By the end of the second period both boys were getting quite enthralled in the game, yelling at the screen and occasionally jumping up from the sofa in frustration when the game went against their favourite team. After the third penalty, Troy had become so incensed by the injustice of the referee that he did not notice that, when he sat back down, he was so close to Ryan that he was practically in his lap. Ryan, however was acutely aware of the fact and he dared not move in case Troy realised and sprung away. It was only when the game ended that Ryan uttered a word.

"Well, that sucked!" He exclaimed half heartedly, "That referee was so biased!"

Troy nodded in agreement.

"Totally! They should have a re-match or something!"

Ryan risked a sideways glance at Troy.

"Hey, do you fancy watching a movie?" He suggested and Troy nodded.

"Sure, what are you in the mood for? Action, drama or musical?"

"Musical I think. Hmm... I haven't seen Moulin Rouge in a while."

Troy nodded and smiled at Ryan.

"Don't tell Chad and the guys but I love that movie! Where's your DVD player?"

Ryan grinned slyly but made no move to stand up.

"Observe," he said to Troy before glancing up at the TV and snapping his fingers. "DVD. MUSICAL. MOULIN ROUGE" he called and several seconds later the red curtains and conductor appeared on the screen. Troy stared in awe.

"Dude, that's awesome! Where did you get that? It's like a 007 gadget!"

"It was a Christmas gift from Sharpay to our parents a few years ago. She got sick of the constant arguments about whose turn it was to change the channel."

Troy relaxed back onto the sofa and Ryan resumed his previous position next to him. As the movie progressed, Troy started to lean lightly on Ryan's shoulder, seemingly unaware. Ryan smiled to himself as he leaned into Troy more and soon the pair was stretched out along the sofa which was wide and long enough to accommodate them both with ease. Troy glanced away from the movie and realised he was nose to stomach with Ryan. Ryan's shirt had ridden up slightly, unveiling a vast expanse of smooth, creamy skin with a light covering of hair trailing down his flat abs and disappearing under his Calvin Klein waistband. Troy yawned but kept his eyes fixed lazily on Ryan's exposed flesh.

"You have a really cute stomach, I never noticed before," Troy stated in a slight sing songy voice.

Ryan glanced sideways for a moment, not entirely convinced he'd heard Troy correctly. When he glanced down at Troy he found him staring under his shirt.

"Oh?" Ryan said in an anxious yet somewhat amused tone, encouraging Troy to continue.

"Yeah, it's... cute."

"How so?" Ryan continued; he knew he was treading on very thin ice so he kept his words to a minimum.

"Well, it's ... flat, with just a hint of muscle. And this crease just here," he said, gesturing to the line down the centre of Ryan's torso, "May I?" He said pointing at the hem of Ryan's shirt.

Ryan sucked in a breath.

"Sure," he said jovially before Troy gently peeled back his shirt to the line just below his upper chest.

"See? It's so soft," Troy continued, wistfully tracing his fingers across Ryan's stomach which was currently melting into a heated pool at the base of his spine. Suddenly Troy reached across and placed a chaste kiss just above Ryan's navel but he didn't look up at Ryan. He continued to trace patterns across Ryan's abdomen. Ryan had no idea why Troy was doing that but he wasn't about to question it; it felt too good. Troy's ministrations were starting to lull him into a dozy state so he relaxed further into the sofa and let Troy continue. After several minutes Troy broke the silence again but still had his gaze focused on Ryan's abs.

"I've run out of patterns to trace." He stated flatly, as though he'd just asked Ryan the time. He then slowly began to run his hand up and under Ryan's shirt until it was covered by fabric and lying somewhere between his abs and collarbone. Troy then risked a glance up at Ryan who was smiling down at him, not daring to speak. Troy shifted his weight so that he was lying on his side and leaning over Ryan's torso as he ever-so-gently pushed Ryan's shirt completely up around his neck.

"See? Gorgeous!" He exclaimed lazily. Ryan stared up at the ceiling, not quite believing that he was lying on his sofa with Troy's hands all over him when the sudden soft wetness of Troy's lips descended upon his nipple. Troy softly began to trace its outline with his lips as it became rock hard under his mouth and Ryan froze. When Troy had memorised its outline he stuck his tongue out and began to lick. The heat that had started pooling in Ryan's spine travelled up and he felt like someone had pushed him against a heated car seat. Troy suddenly bit down and Ryan had to restrain himself from jumping off the sofa. If his pleasure hadn't been evident before, it was quickly becoming an issue as his already tight pants began to feel infinitely tighter.

"Um, Troy?" Ryan began but Troy didn't look up.

"Yeah, I know, the other one must be feeling slightly neglected I'll get to that in a minute." He said and Ryan just stared in shock.

"Uh, no, Troy that's not what I... as much as I'm enjoying this, will you just stop that a minute?"

Troy stopped and glanced up at Ryan.

"I _really_ don't know why I'm questioning this right now but- actually, yes I do, you're straight!" He said, the fog clearing slightly now that Troy wasn't stroking him into oblivion, "So why am I lying on my sofa being felt up by the future Lakers Playmaker?!"

Troy glanced down at Ryan's stomach again as if it held the answers to life, the universe and everything and paused for several moments before speaking.

"Because I realised a few days ago that I am seriously attracted to you."

Ryan didn't quite believe what he was being told.

"Uh huh, and when did this little gem of knowledge occur to you?"

"When you and Chad came to visit me, and you came back for your hat." He paused and just as Ryan was about to interrupt he continued. "And the other night after dinner when you showed up and surprised me with the Phil Jackson thing." Troy began to walk his fingers up Ryan's chest following them with his eyes until he reached Ryan's face. "And," he finished, looking straight into Ryan's eyes, "Today at batting practise when I couldn't keep my eyes off that hot little ass of yours."

Ryan hesitated then a small smile crept across his face.

"Do you mean when I was wiggling it to make a home run or when you were unashamedly checking it out in the shower?"

Troy had the decency to look sheepish but he was still grinning like the Cheshire cat when he replied.

"Both."

Ryan ran a hand gently through Troy's hair. It was as soft as it looked.

"So, just to be clear, Troy Bolton, Mr Sports Fanatic, likes boys now?"

Troy shook his head fiercely and Ryan was about to respond when Troy beat him to the punch line.

"Nope. Just one." He said matter-of-factly, focussing on Ryan's Adams apple which was looking extremely kissable to Troy at that moment. His forwardness was starting to scare him a little, but even though his head was screaming at him that he had been feeling up another guy he couldn't seem to see it that way. True, Ryan was male, but for some reason he was just 'Ryan', the guy who, for whatever reason, he couldn't think straight when he was around – in both definitions of the word.

"Well, in that case..." Ryan started, trailing off as he placed a hand under Troy's chin and drew his lips up to his own. What started as a tentative, closed mouth kiss rapidly progressed. After a few moments of their lips lightly brushing, Ryan pulled Troy's lips to his, crushing their mouths together as Ryan pressed his tongue against Troy's mouth. Troy opened his mouth and his tongue began to fiercely duel with Ryan's as they both fought for control. After what seemed like forever, they quickly broke apart, both gasping for air. They stared at each other, their breathing coming in longer gasps as their starved lungs replenished with oxygen. Troy's blue eyes had turned several shades darker as though a storm was brewing in the once bright blue depths. Troy took one look at Ryan and felt a familiar tightness in his jeans as he noticed his eyes were almost black with lust. His smooth, unblemished face was flushed red and he was staring at Troy like a starving man eyeing a Thanksgiving roast.

Before he could change his mind, Troy placed a hand flat on Ryan's chest and pushed him backwards so he was lying flat on his back as Troy leant over him and captured his lips once more. Ryan moaned into Troy's mouth causing the tightening in Troy's jeans to worsen as Ryan snaked his hands around Troy's back and pulled his torso down until Troy was lying flush against him, his weight on his chest a delightful discomfort to Ryan.

Troy drew his lips away from Ryan's long enough to pull Ryan's shirt the remaining few inches up and over his head so he lay there with nothing above his Calvin Kleins. Troy held his weight up on his arms, his muscles lightly bulging with the effort. Ryan seized the opportunity to undo the buttons on Troy's shirt and roughly pushed it back over his shoulders exposing Troy's muscular chest.

Ryan stared in awe for a few seconds before sticking his tongue out and running it up the crease between Troy's abs until he reached Troy's throat. He immediately began to suck on the hollow at the base of Troy's neck and Troy moaned low and gravelly in his throat, causing Ryan to suck even harder. He'd probably leave a bruise but no one except him would know unless Troy walked around with his top button undone. Ryan's back was slightly arched as he leant on his elbows to allow him to reach Troy's throat and it was a position that Troy fully intended to take advantage of. While Ryan was distracted, Troy ran a feather-light finger from the base of Ryan's spine to the base of his neck, causing Ryan to shudder. He pulled slightly away from Troy's neck and looked up at him through his eyelashes.

"Do that again and you'll have a big mess on your hands!" He whispered. Troy raised an eyebrow at his forwardness and, as he glanced down, he smirked.

"Oh really?"

"Mmmhmm," Ryan hummed the affirmative. "And, as much as I'm enjoying this, I think that second base is quite enough for a first date."

Instead of recoiling at the idea, Troy was strangely undeterred by Ryan's use of the 'D' word.

"Troy, is this... not a little weird for you?" Ryan asked, earnestly, "I mean, I got used to the idea that I was gay a while ago but you...?"

Troy seriously considered the question for a few seconds before replying. He sat up and Ryan sat up with him, listening intently.

"I'm even more surprised than you that my answer is, no, it isn't weird. God knows, it should be! We've been friends for so long and I was with Gabby until a week ago even though we hadn't actually seen each other for a while. I can't explain it other than this doesn't feel wrong at all."

Both boys began to smile at each other and Troy pressed his lips against Ryan's in a short but passionate kiss. When they pulled apart, Troy yawned, followed quickly by Ryan.

"Well, I suppose it's getting late," Ryan said, expecting Troy to take it as a cue that it was fine for him to leave but he didn't take it. Instead he stared at Ryan, his face showing an internal battle of some description. Ryan sensed Troy's discomfort.

"What's wrong, Troy?" He asked, concerned that maybe the other boy was coming to his senses.

Troy shrugged and threw a weak smile at Ryan.

"I dunno, I was sort of wondering whether it would be ok for me to... stay? I mean, just stay over in a guest room or whatever." When Ryan was silent Troy took it as a bad sign. "I mean, I can always walk home, it's not too far-"

Ryan silenced him with a finger across his lips.

"Troy, that's fine by me." He then mock pouted and glanced sideways at Troy. "I'm just a little disappointed that you want to stay in the guest room, that's all."

Troy's face lit up and he jumped up off the sofa.

"Awesome!" He announced then paused, "Wait! Could I borrow your phone?"

Ryan nodded in comprehension.

"Of course, you promised your dad you would call. Go ahead, it's over there by the fireplace. I'll wait outside for you." And with that Ryan stood up and left the room, leaving Troy to make his phone call in private.

......................................................................................................

A few minutes later Troy re-appeared and smiled at Ryan.

"Everything's cool," he said looking expectantly at Ryan, "So...?"

"Well I don't know about you but I'm exhausted!" Ryan said theatrically, reaching for troy's hand and lacing their fingers together, "I was thinking that a relatively early night was in order."

Troy smiled coyly and Ryan led him up the stairs to his bedroom. Once inside and the door locked, Ryan threw Troy a baggy pair of sweats. Troy caught them and looked up at Ryan surprised.

"I didn't think you would want to sleep in your jeans."

Troy shrugged and muttered something that Ryan didn't quite catch.

"Sorry Troy, what was that?"

Troy went red and repeated it a little louder.

"I said I usually just sleep in my shorts but, that's cool." He said, removing his jeans and laying them across the chair at Ryan's desk before putting on his sweats. Ryan did the same but Troy was faster and just as Ryan had pulled on his blue sweats Troy snuck up behind him, snuck an arm around Ryan's waist and pulled him down onto his bed, kissing his neck as he did so.

Ryan laughed, fought Troy off and tackled him until Troy was lying beneath him. Ryan then seductively kissed his way down Troy's torso until he reached his waistband where he paused, glanced up at Troy with an incredibly dark set of bedroom eyes . Then, as quickly as he had turned it on, he grinned devilishly, bounded off him and into the bathroom. Troy just rolled his eyes in a frustrated manner and collapsed back onto the bed.

When Ryan returned he lay down next to Troy who was already falling asleep. In his semi-awake state Troy wrapped an arm protectively around Ryan's waist and planted a kiss on the back of shoulder before snuggling down into him and closing his eyes. Ryan shuffled himself backwards until he was snugly tucked into the curves of Troy's body. Ryan still wasn't as entirely convinced of Troy's certainty in this new found attraction as Troy was but he wasn't about to let the opportunity pass him by.

Whatever the morning brought, he sighed, at least he'd made the most of this while he had it.


	7. Hungry?

Ryan woke up to feel a warm body behind him. At first he was confused because he didn't remember where he was but as his brain caught up he realised that Troy was still here. He rolled over gently trying not to wake Troy but he got a surprise; Troy was already awake and had clearly been watching him for some time. Troy grinned and lazily draped an arm over Ryan's hip.

"Mornin'," he beamed, as Ryan stretched out on his back and placed a hand behind his head, "Sleep well?"

"Like a baby, thank you," Ryan replied, regarding him with a look that made even Mr Happy look like he was permanently having a bad day. He softly stroked Troy's arm. "You're still here."

Troy frowned and propped his head up on his elbow.

"Err, yes, that was the point. Where did you think I was going to be?"

Ryan shrugged and looked away from Troy's gaze.

"I dunno, last night was great but I thought maybe by the morning you might have come to your senses and realised that you were just..." he trailed off not knowing quite how to phrase it.

Troy rolled his eyes.

"Let me guess, you figure, 'Hey Troy isn't really gay, he's just horny and I was the only one with a cute ass that would look at him', right?"

Ryan squirmed slightly under his gaze.

"Well, I wouldn't have phrased it quite like that but, yeah, kinda." At Troy's reproachful glance he tried to explain, "Hey, it happens sometimes, ya know."

There was something in Ryan's voice that said he wasn't just talking about an anecdote he'd heard. Troy's eyes softened as he took Ryan's hand in his.

"Someone has done that to you before, haven't they?" Ryan nodded and Troy wrapped a protective arm around him.

"Hey, Ry, I may not have the details of this thing figured out yet but the last thing I'd ever do is use you like that."

"Yeah, that's what he said, too." Ryan finished and Troy didn't really know how to respond. "However, you aren't him and we haven't really started anything yet so let's not rush ahead of ourselves."

Troy nodded in agreement.

"Listen, Ry, I care about you a lot but this is all still very new to me. Would you mind if we take it slowly?"

Ryan nodded.

"Slow I can do, although if you carry on the way you did last night that might make it a very difficult instruction to follow!" He said, making light of the suddenly serious mood. "Look, Troy, I know you aren't out. I guess technically I'm not either but with me I think people just kind of know. Whereas, you just broke up with Gabby and I'm not stupid, you're looking at a major league basketball contract. Being an actor no one cares whether you're gay and if you're on the stage in musical theatre it's a bit of a surprise if you aren't, but pro-basketball isn't the theatre. I know it's a little early to be talking about this but I need you to know that I know the score. Things could get difficult, if you know what I mean, and if you're not prepared for that then I don't see how this can ever work."

"Wow, that's deep for 9am!" Troy said grinning but it faded when he saw how serious Ryan was. "Look, Ry, I haven't got a grand plan. And I can't predict the future but what I do know is that all along my decisions have always been to stay true to who, and what I am. If a career in basketball means that I have to deny myself then perhaps it isn't the right thing for me." Troy grinned and nudged Ryan gently in the ribs, "Besides, I am doing a joint honours program with drama. _Somebody_ reckons I'm about as good a stage star as I am a ball player and he's got some pretty good connections. I'm sure, whatever happens, he can hook me up!"

"Oh, great, so you're only with me for my friends in the business!" Ryan said melodramatically but his grin betrayed his words. "Well, if that's the case you can get out of my bed right this second, Mr Bolton!"

Troy rolled his eyes.

"When will my boyfriend get it into his head that I'm not with him for the money or the fame? I'm in it for his ass!" Troy laughed as Ryan playfully hit his arm. "Ok! Jeez, I've been with you for five minutes and you're inflicting domestic violence issues onto me!"

Ryan pulled his tongue out at Troy.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is my big, tough basketball player boyfriend scared of a guy who weighs about 20 pounds less than him?"

"Hey! Watch it!" Troy exclaimed "You'll have me paranoid about my 4-burger-a-day habit!"

Ryan gave Troy a less-than-subtle once over.

"If eating burgers gives you a body like that then why is everyone avoiding McDonalds like the plague? There should be shrines devoted to it!"

Both boys laughed and Troy buried his head in Ryan's shoulder.

"Listen, Troy, I'm leaving it to you since I'm already unofficially out. How do you want to handle this?"

"Well, as much as I care about you this is still new to me. I don't want to lie about us if anyone asks but, for now at least, can we keep this low-key. I mean, I still want to do all the stuff we've already done and we can go out as a couple no problem, just maybe no PDA above a PG-13 rating?"

Ryan considered it for a second.

"Define PG-13."

"Ok, well nothing you wouldn't be comfortable with seeing your sister doing with someone."

"Urgh god, that pretty much rules out everything besides hand holding and snuggling but, yeah, I can live with that. For now." Ryan twisted his hands into Troy's hair, "So long as I can carry on doing this to you," He said, pulling Troy's lips down to his for a spine-tingling kiss. When they parted, Troy looked slightly dazed.

"After showing me what you can do with that amazing tongue of yours I'd dump you if you didn't!"

Ryan smirked.

"You think that was impressive, wait 'til you see the encore," He said before pushing Troy onto his back and lying on top of him. Just as Ryan's lips descended upon Troy's, there was a knock at the door. Ryan groaned and threw the door an angry glare.

"_What?!"_

"Master Ryan, I was just checking to see whether you wanted me to bring yourself and your guest some breakfast," came a voice from behind the door. Just as Ryan was about to send the guy packing, Troy's stomach grumbled. Ryan gave him a pointed look and Troy began to protest.

"Hey! I didn't tell my stomach to do that! And, since he's offering..."

Ryan waited for a few seconds and threw back the duvet, sighing in protest.

"Would "Sir" like anything specific?" Ryan said in mock annoyance, truth be told he was kind of hungry himself.

"Urm, bacon and eggs with a side order of toast would be great," He said, beaming.

"Fine! Fine! Urgh!" he threw his hands up in the air theatrically, "I suppose I'm dating an athlete now, I forget you guys live on carbs and protein."

Troy raised an eyebrow.

"As opposed to actors who live on...?"

"Organics, wholegrains and non-fat dairy" Ryan admitted rather proudly, "Oh, and don't forget the green tea!"

Troy just threw the duvet over his head as Ryan opened the door to repeat his order to the waiting butler.

.....................................................................................................

"Mmmm, remind me to buy your Chef something awesome for Christmas!" Troy said around a mouthful of toast, "If I'm going to be with you then I think a career in basketball is out of the question anyway. If I stay here much longer I'm going to get fat!"

Ryan rolled his eyes and gave Troy a pointed look.

"With that much muscle you could burn through the calories in a deep fried pizza by just walking from one size of the room to the other." He placed his fruit plate to one side. "I, on the other hand..."

"In your house, that may actually be true!" Troy said only to be hit with a pillow. "Oh, shut up, Ry! There isn't an ounce of fat on you." Troy grinned, "Besides I think you're hot just as you are!"

Ryan stood up and walked over to his closet. He pulled out two towels and handed one to Troy.

"Now do you want the first shower?" He asked, "My bathroom is just through that door, there are spare toothbrushes under the sink," he said gesturing to another door leading off his bedroom.

"I wondered where you went to when you ran off last night!" Troy said sarcastically. "Sure, I'll go first."

He stood up and stretched, much to Ryan's delight. If he wasn't careful Ryan might "accidentally" decide to drop in on said shower... but Troy had said that he wanted to go slowly so slowly it would be. Ryan suspected that, somehow despite the shower incident yesterday, that Troy's definition of "going slow" didn't include covering each other in soap and rub- yeah, he was definitely going to need a cold shower.

Troy caught Ryan staring and cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Now who's staring?" He asked cheekily. Ryan pointed in the direction of the bathroom.

"Shower, now! Before I decide to forget this whole going slow thing and start doing things to you that are illegal in several countries!"

Troy threw a pillow at him as he stood up and walked away.

"Tease!" he yelled back before closing the bathroom door.

Ryan sighed and turned to put all of the leftover breakfast plates onto the trolley they were delivered on. When he was done he went into his closet to find clothes for himself and then dug around in his chest of drawers to try to find something suitable for Troy. Troy would never fit into any of Ryan's clothes but he was pretty sure that there were some things lurking around in his closet that one of his baseball buddies had left behind on a sleepover a couple of years ago. After a few moments he found what he was looking for and quickly made his bed before laying them out in two piles ready for when Troy came out of the bathroom.

There was a loud knock at the door and Ryan went to open it, bringing the trolley with him ready to give to Charles. He slowly opened the door only to find himself face to face with Sharpay. Ryan's eyes bulged.

"Finally! Took you long enough!" She exclaimed. "What were you doing in ther-" She paused mid-sentence, took in his shirtless attire and rolled her eyes.

"God, Ryan! You've been on your own for one night and you've already got some guy in there! Heaven knows what would happen if we left you for a couple of weeks!" Sharpay sighed and folded her arms across her chest. "Very well, at least tell me he's hot this time."

Ryan smirked knowingly and nodded.

"Oh, yeah, I'm... pretty sure he'll meet your approval!"

Sharpay turned her head slightly and frowned.

"Ok, what's going on? You look about as smug as a cat that got the canar-"

At that moment Troy chose to emerge from the bathroom clad only in a towel. He, like Ryan, saw the open door and trolley and assumed that it was Charles coming to collect the plates so without paying any attention to the voice from the other side, Troy crept up behind Ryan and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Hey Ry, what's taking you so-"

At the sight of Sharpay he froze.

"Oh, hey Troy! Sorry to hear about you and Gabri...wait! Why are you in Ryan's room wearing only a towel? With your arm around..."

Sharpay's eyes almost popped out of her head. Ryan mentally counted to three before an almighty shriek erupted from Sharpay. Troy had to cover his ears.

"Damn it, Ry! You haven't got enough of your own that you have to go turning the ones from my side too?!?" Sharpay glared at her brother and then gave Troy a longing gaze. She then eyed him up like a prize turkey for a few moments before shrugging. "Well, at least you were right, he is hot. Urgh! It's so unfair!" She exclaimed throwing one last strop before marching off down the hallway. A bemused Ryan closed his door and turned to Troy.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about how to break the news to Sharpay!" He said and then after a beat both boys burst into laughter.

"The only time I've ever seen her that mad was when Gabby and I stole your leads in the show!" Troy said between laughs.

"Ah, yes, but I stole her leading man so, overall, I think we win!" Ryan said, wrapping his arms around Troy's neck.

....................................................................

**A/N: I know, I know, more fluff. I was going to try to write something horrible but I couldn't bring myself to do it! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. More soon (when I stop putting off my uni work and get it finished!)**


	8. Of Courage and Acceptance

Ryan stopped his convertible in just short of Troy's front door.

"Thanks for giving me a ride," Troy said for the fifth time.

"What's the point of dating an Evans if you can't ride in style?" Ryan gushed melodramatically.

"You have a point!" Troy laughed, "And at least yours isn't Barbie pink!" Troy turned to face Ryan.

"Listen, Ry, do you think that you could keep Sharpay quiet at least until I've had chance to speak to my parents about this?"

Ryan sighed.

"Do you have any idea how much of the impossible you're asking with that one?" He said seemingly put out by the request... until he broke into a smile. "Don't worry, Troy, she won't say anything. To _anyone_."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because, don't you see? You dating me means that she lost and there's nothing she can do to fix it."

"I don't understand."

Ryan placed his hands over Troy's.

"The way Shar works is that she gets what she wants. Period. And if it's impossible then it will just take a few more months. When you were with Gabby she figured that she still had a chance and that she could worm her way in with you somehow."

"No offence, Ry, but I wouldn't have chosen your sister over Gabby."

"Yes, but she doesn't see it that way. In her mind, you're her prize that she will win back from the competition no matter who she had to tread on to get to you. But now you're with the one person that she wouldn't dare to tread on – me. " Ryan grinned, "So you see, she won't tell because then she would have to admit defeat to her own brother."

"Wow, I didn't realise you guys had that sort of rivalry." Troy said looking shocked.

"Well, I don't care really. It's how I got my reputation as her poodle, I just go along with her because it makes my life easier. But for Shar? Winning is everything and more."

Troy shrugged.

"Well, even so, just... keep an eye on her, will you?"

"No worries. Consider it done." Ryan said warmly. "Now, about your parents..."

"Yeah, I was hoping to find some time this week. You know how busy the holidays are but I just think it'll be easier if I just go with the ripping-off-a-band-aid approach. As fast and as pain-free as possible."

"How do you think they'll react?"

"I'm pretty sure my mom won't be too bad, it's my dad that concerns me. He has this dream of me being a b-ball superstar, I'm not sure he's going to understand. Not right away at least."

Ryan took Troy's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"If you need any support, I'm here. And you'll always be welcome at my parents house if you need some time away from it all."

"Thanks, Ry, somehow I think I may have to take you up on that offer."

Troy leant over the gear shift and placed a lingering kiss on Ryan's lips before bidding him goodbye and getting out of the car. As he watched Ryan drive off, he stared apprehensively at his house.

_Home is the place where when you go they have to take you in, no matter what, right?_ He said to himself before heading inside. Opening the door he stepped into the warm smell of baking pies which told him that his mother was in the kitchen baking for the annual street Christmas party in a few days time. Taking a breath he stepped inside and placed his kit bag noisily onto a chair.

"Hey Troy! I was about to call you to find out what time you were coming home. How did you get here?"

"Ryan drove," Troy said awkwardly but his mother didn't seem to notice his anxious demeanour.

"Well that was sweet of him, I hope you thanked him," she said beaming innocently.

Troy strangled a coughed reply of yep and a blush began to rise in his cheeks as he pictured just how he'd thanked him.

"I'm sorry Troy, I'll be done in about an hour or so and then we can go through the Sunday newspapers together, ok?"

It was a weekly event in the Bolton household for Troy and his mother to read through the newspapers and catch up on the week's events.

"Sure, Mom. Uh, where's Dad?" Troy asked tentatively.

"Oh he's out watching some sports game with the guys. He'll be back in time for dinner this evening. Why? Did you want to speak to him?"

"NO!" Troy yelled and his Mom threw him a puzzled glare. "Uh, I mean, no. I... was kinda hoping we could have a talk actually."

Mrs Bolton nodded her head and smiled gently.

"Is this about Gabriella?"

Troy wrung his hands together nervously.

"Err... not quite but you're not too far wrong."

His Mom wiped her hands on her apron and turned to face the ovens.

"Just give me five minutes and then I'll join you in the den."

Troy stood and stared at her back for a few seconds before heading into the den.

...........................................................................................

"There, all done!" Mrs Bolton exclaimed as she took her apron off and took a seat next to Troy.

"What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Troy just sat and stared at his hands not knowing how to begin. Troy's mother realised that something was wrong and she took his hand. "Are you sick, honey?"

Troy shook his head vigorously.

"No! No, nothing like that. I'm... seeing someone."

"Oh? But I thought you only just broke up with Gabriella? Well, that's good, isn't it?" She said, confused.

"Yes! Yes, they're a wonderful person. I've actually known them for quite a while now I just never thought I'd consider it, you know?"

"Troy, you're acting like you're not quite sure this is what you want."

"No, I do I'm just not quite sure how well you're going to take it, that's all."

"Why, Troy? Is she... older?"

He wrung his hands together and stood up. _God this is stupid_, he thought, _just _say it!

"It's Ryan!" He announced to the room. His mother looked confused.

"What's Ryan, sweetie? Does he like her too? Is that why you're so nervous?"

He sat back down again and took her hand.

"No, Mom, I'm _seeing_ Ryan."

"Oh. Oh!" His mother responded. "Well that's certainly... are you sure, honey?"

"Yes Mom, I'm sure." Troy ran a hand through his hair but his Mom just sat and said nothing.

"Say something, please, Mom. You're starting to freak me out. Shout at me, swear at me, tell me... I don't know, just _say_ something!"

"Are you sure about this, Troy?"

Troy nodded.

"Do you care about him the way you did Gabby?"

"Yes. More even, I think."

"And you're happy?"

Troy nodded and grinned. His mother broke into a smile and held her arms open as Troy hugged her. His face suddenly felt wet with tears and he quickly wiped them away.

"Oh, sweetie! Please don't be afraid to tell me or your father anything. Ever. Ok? As long as you're happy that's all that we care about."

"So, you... think Dad will be ok with this?"

His mother pulled away and stroked his cheek.

"I think he'll be more than a little surprised but he'll be fine once he gets used to the idea. You might need to give him a little time for that though. Would you like me to speak to him first?"

He knew his mother's offer was genuine but, as much as he wanted to accept it, he couldn't.

"Ah, thanks Mom but I think I need to do this myself. Got to speak to him sometime," he said, smiling awkwardly.

Troy's mom stood and squeezed his hand.

"Don't worry, Troy. We brought you up to go after the things you wanted and not to be afraid of anything anybody else thought. If Ryan is what you want then there's really no decision to be made, is there?" She smiled genuinely at him before heading back into the kitchen. "Dinner's at seven!" She yelled behind her and Troy breathed a sigh of relief.

One down, one major one to go.

...................................................................................................

After pouring himself a second glass of wine Jack Bolton began to carve another piece of roast and he smiled at his son.

"So, Troy, how was the game last night?"

Troy paused with his fork mid-way to his mouth and shrugged.

"It was ok, I guess. The referee was biased though! We lost badly." He said, glad that he'd actually paid attention to the game. He took a sip of water, his throat suddenly feeling dry.

"Well at least you and Ryan had a good time, huh?"

Troy inhaled a lungful of water at that comment and his father frowned.

"You ok over there, son?"

Troy patted himself on the back a few times and spluttered a bit more while nodding vigorously.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good, thanks."

He glanced over at his mother to find her grinning at him from across the top of her wine glass with a suspiciously devious gleam in her eye. Troy threw her his best 'What?' expression but when she raised an eyebrow he felt his cheeks heat up. _Wonderful!_ He mused, _now my Mom has ideas about exactly what happened last night_. He cleared his throat before continuing.

"Uh, yeah we watched a couple of movies after that, you know, guy stuff." _Sure, if 'guy stuff' included major make out sessions_.

"He seems like a great guy," his father continued, "We should invite him round for dinner one evening."

Troy put down his cutlery; he was no longer interested in food.

"That's a wonderful idea, Jack. I'd love to get to know him a little better." Mrs Bolton chimed in, "He's always such a polite boy. His family has some good connections too, for you and Troy." She continued. "We could do a lot worse than having an Evans around, in fact, I think it might be good for this family."

She smiled warmly across the table at Troy, a gesture he fully returned. He could see that she was trying to lay the foundations, shaky though they may have been and he nodded slightly in thanks. In the few hours since he'd told his mother about his new relationship it seemed that she'd warmed up to the idea a lot better than he could have ever hoped. Of course, that third glass of wine probably hadn't done his case any harm either he mused wryly. Still, he wasn't complaining.

"I agree, sweetheart," Jack said enthusiastically. Troy wondered whether he'd be so keen on the idea by the end of the evening.

"Dad, I was thinking maybe after dinner we could shoot some hoops?" Troy asked boldly. If there was any hope of winning his father over it would be on the court.

"Sure, Troy, sounds like a plan! Go get your kit and I'll meet you on the court in ten," he said standing up and folding his napkin on the side of the table.

"You don't mind do you, Mom?" Troy asked nervously walking around the table. As he passed she gently squeezed his arm, "Not at all, honey. You go ahead." Nodding at him she stood and exited to the kitchen.

.......................................................................................

There was a slight chill in the air but their light exercise was more than sufficient to keep the Bolton boys warm.

"He shoots and he scores!" Yelled Jack Bolton as Troy landed his fourth basket in a row. "Not bad, son, not bad at all!"

"Well, I learned from the best, Dad!" Troy replied, "You always believed in me and told me to reach for my dreams, no matter how 'out there' they were."

Jack Bolton paused and Troy mentally smacked himself. _Too much!_ He chastised himself. Instead, Jack grinned and walked over to Troy, ruffling his hair.

"Yeah, I did. Still do. I'm proud of you, Troy. And not just for the basketball. You had the courage to stand up for what you wanted even when I was telling you that you were wrong. That took guts."

Troy smiled briefly but it faded quickly. Jack passed the ball to him but instead of taking another shot he spun it in his hands and placed it under his arm.

"Dad..." he began, as his stomach began to flutter with anticipation. "I, uh, need to talk to you about something."

Jack Bolton stood up straighter and walked over to Troy.

"Is there something wrong?"

Troy shook his head and stared at his feet.

"No, not really. There's just something that I think I need to tell you but I need you to just listen and not freak out, ok?"

Jack frowned and took a seat on the grass covered slope beside the concrete court and indicated for his son to do the same. As soon as he sat down, Jack began firing questions at Troy.

"Is it Gabby? Is there something wrong? Is she... pregnant?"

Troy shook his head.

"No, Dad, she isn't and it isn't about her. You know that I broke up with Gabby? It's... about Ryan."

"What's he done, Troy? Did he say something to Coach Jackson?"

Troy shook his head.

"No, he was the one who put in a good word for me, remember?" He was desperately trying to portray Ryan in the best possible light before he dealt his blow, so to speak. "Well, he...I..." Troy's confidence was rapidly dissolving and his voice began to tremble.

Jack Bolton placed a hand on Troy's shoulder.

"What's wrong, son? I promise, whatever it is we can sort it out together."

"Nothing's wrong, it's just I don't know any other way to say it... please, don't be mad" He said barely above a whisper.

Troy looked into his father's worried eyes and squeezed his eyes closed for a millisecond, remembering what he'd said to Ryan earlier about just tearing the band aid off.

"I'm in love with Ryan." He said, his voice trembling as he realised it was the first time he'd actually said the words out loud. "Dad, I'm gay. Or bi, maybe I've not quite worked that out yet but I do know I'm in love with Ryan Evans."

Jack Bolton looked as though Troy had just dumped a bucket of cold water over his head. He stared at Troy for what seemed like an age.

_Oh God, this is way worse than when I told Mom_, Troy thought as his eyes started to tear up again, _he hates me_

Jack just continued to stare at Troy, seeing the reflection of the floodlights in the tears that Troy was desperately trying to fight back. He'd seen Troy many things with him over the years; happy, sad, angry, frustrated but never once had Jack Bolton remembered seeing fear in his son's eyes before. And he really didn't like it.

"Dad, I'm sorry, I never wanted to disappoint you..." He began, not knowing what to do.

Jack stared at the floor for a moment before lunging at Troy, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and enveloping him in a bear hug. It was something he realised he hasn't done since Troy was a young boy. He gripped Troy's shoulders tightly and placed a hand firmly on the back of Troy's head, pulling him into his shoulder.

"Troy, you could never be a disappointment to your mother and I so don't you ever think it!" He mumbled into Troy's ear. "I'm the one who should be sorry," he continued struggling to hold back his own tears, "I'm sorry I made it so difficult for you to tell me." He pulled back from Troy and Troy sniffed, scrabbled around in his pockets and pulled out a handkerchief, blowing his nose. Jack looked taken aback.

"Since when do you carry round handkerchiefs?"

Troy shrugged cluelessly and held it out in front of him. He certainly didn't remember putting it there. Flicking it out to its full size, a piece of paper fell out. Troy bent to pick it up and opened it. Inside was a handwritten note in a familiar scrawl:

"I know you don't carry a Kleenex so here's one of mine. You know, for those cold nights on the court or... whatever ;) Break a leg, Ry x"

Troy blushed at Ryan's thoughtfulness but was even more bowled over by his uncanny ability to predict something that even he would never have imagined in a million years! Noticing that his Dad was trying very hard _not_ to ask Troy what it was even though he was clearly curious, he held his palm out to his dad so that he could read it for himself. As Jack read it he began to smile.

"Perceptive young man, isn't he?" He added, grinning. "Troy, I have to ask, are you sure about this? I mean it could cause problems in your future-"

"-with my basketball career, I know," Said Troy honestly, "But, if I can't be myself then how can I enjoy playing the game anymore?" Troy shrugged. "I don't have to make a choice right now, I'm still getting used to the idea myself, but I am doing a joint honours degree." He stared out across the court. "I know this isn't what you want to hear but basketball isn't my only option."

Jack wrapped an arm around his son's shoulder and followed his gaze.

"Troy, I'm a basketball guy, you know that. It's my life and, yes I'll admit it will always be my dream to see your name up there in lights but the most important thing to me is your happiness so if you're happy, I'm happy."

Troy stood up and stretched his arms and Jack followed his lead.

"Want a re-match?" Troy suggested happily and Jack responded by passing the ball to him. "Get'cha head in the game, son, we've got a coach to impress!"

...................................................................................................

**A/N: I know most fics make Jack Bolton out to be a homophobic git but I just think it's a bit stereotypical and, given his eventual acceptance of Troy as a playmaker and an actor when a reasoned argument was given, I thought that he should be given a bit more credit.**


	9. When You Put Your Hands On Me

**A/N: Sorry for the sudden delay in updates I had tons of deadlines this week. Anyway, here's the next chapter and I've made it a decent length. To be honest I'm surprised that this fic is as long as it, it's gone from being a flicker of an idea I had to procrastinate over essay writing to my longest published piece! I'm thinking of tying it into the films a bit more and adding some singing. I've given it a shot and I'd really love to know what you guys think. It might be useful to know that the song is 'When You Put Your Hands On Me' by Christina Aguilera.**

**I should probably give you fair warning:**

_*this chapter gets a little graphic so if you're underage or don't like details please don't read it!*_

**Oh well, never mind, enjoy!**

..........................................................................................

"Hi honey, did you enjoy spending some time with Troy?" Mrs Bolton asked as she splashed water across her face.

Her husband slid up behind her in their bathroom, reached around her shoulder to get his toothbrush and looked at her knowingly.

"Troy already told you, didn't he?"

She turned to face him and crossed her arms across her chest as she leant back against the sink.

"This afternoon. So?" She asked curiously.

"So, what?" Jack asked back, feigning ignorance.

"Well, I'm assuming that since he didn't seem to be in tears earlier, it went well."

He sighed and placed his toothbrush back down before stepping back.

"Do you mean 'Was I horrified and then beat him until he came to his senses'? " Jack said looking slightly hurt. "Funny, I think that was what Troy was expecting me to do. Well I'm sorry to disappoint you both."

Mrs Bolton considered the expression on Jack's face, wondering for a moment whether he was joking but as the silence progressed she was hit with the realisation that he wasn't. Searching Jack's eyes he went to walk away but she reached out an arm to stop him.

"Hey, I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I just, I guess I'm still adjusting. If it were any other boy I'd say he was confused or upset about his girlfriend breaking up with him but it's Troy. He never does anything drastic until he's made up his mind for sure. So I just don't know."

Jack considered her words.

"Maybe this thing with Ryan is just temporary but I think we need to prepare ourselves for the worst."

"The worst?" Mrs Bolton replied, sounding confused. "But the way you reacted I assumed you were ok-"

Jack shook his head.

"I didn't mean it like that, I just think that if this is the path that Troy has chosen then there could be consequences. Like this Lakers thing." He scrubbed his hands across his face, "I hate to say this but you know as well as I do what's at stake here. Once it comes out there's no going back. If Troy openly admits he's in a... relationship with Ryan then any hopes he has of the pro's will be history. Sports fans do not openly approve of alternative lifestyles, however right or wrong that may be. It is what it is and nothing is going to change about that any time soon."

"It's going to have to be Troy's decision ultimately," his mother pointed out, "and we've always trusted him to do the right thing. I don't see how this is any different."

Jack grimaced.

"I know, honey but this time it isn't quite as simple as singing in a school play in front of a few hundred parents. This could change his life for better or worse. It's the difference between a million dollar contract and waiting tables for the rest of his life!" He sighed, "I don't know, Ellen, I just don't know what's for the best. I never wanted Troy to sacrifice his happiness but he's young and this thing with Ryan won't last forever. And if it doesn't and Troy decides he's made a huge mistake then there's no comeback. He's out." He chuckled to himself awkwardly. "The irony of the whole thing is that, if it weren't for Ryan, Troy wouldn't have been given this huge opportunity. Talk about giving with one hand and taking with the other!"

Mrs Bolton gave him a gentle stare.

"Jack, I don't think this is about Ryan. If Troy is gay, or bisexual, Ryan isn't responsible. He just... opened his eyes to things Troy would've figured out on his own eventually anyway."

Jack shrugged.

"Isn't there part of you that wonders? I mean, Troy was so happy with Gabriella but as soon as she breaks up with him he suddenly decides he's batting for the other team?! It's very coincidental...I dunno, part of me thinks he's just reacting to a bad situation by believing he could be someone else."

Mrs Bolton frowned.

"Did you say any of this to Troy?"

Jack shook his head vigorously.

"No! Of course I didn't! I couldn't, the way he looked at me when he told me. He looked so scared, man, if I had I don't think he would've forgiven me. Or worse, he would've taken it as me being aggressive, closed himself off and stopped speaking."

Mrs Bolton yawned involuntarily.

"I think you two still have a lot to talk about. We all do. I also think Troy has a lot of big decisions to make. But I also think that we need to all take some time to figure this thing out. From what I could gather this is all very new to Troy and Ryan as well. I think they need some space to let things cool down and consider whether they are in this for the long-haul. The holidays are coming up, Troy's meeting with Mr Jackson isn't until the semester starts, is it?" Jack shook his head. "Right, well, I think we've done all that we can do for now. Let's see how things progress over the holidays and talk about it more in a couple of weeks. Hopefully the situation will be clearer by then."

Jack nodded defeatedly.

"You're right, I'm jumping the gun. I'm just trying to get my head 'round it same as you. It probably doesn't help that I'm wiped out. I think I need to see what I think when I've had some time to process it all."

Mrs Bolton cupped Jack's face with one hand.

"Get some sleep, honey and we can continue this in the morning, ok?"

He nodded wearily and Mrs Bolton smiled at him before walking towards the bedroom.

"Tomorrow is sure going to be an interesting day," she said chirpily, "I was thinking of perhaps making good on our offer to Troy of inviting Ryan for dinner soon. You know, break the ice."

........................................................................................

Mrs Bolton stood in the kitchen with a jug of orange juice in her hand when Troy bounded through the door and snatched a piece of toast from the table.

"Hey, Mom," he greeted jovially. Mrs Bolton smiled at him.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Sleep well?"

"Mm, hmm!" he nodded around a mouthful of toast before heading for the door.

"Hold on, where are you going?"

"I'm off to the Evans' to play golf with Ryan. Is that ok? We didn't have anything planned for today did we?"

"No, no, that's fine," she replied hastily, beaming. "Actually, your father and I were wondering whether Ryan would like to join us for dinner tomorrow night."

"Uh, yeah, I can ask." Troy said taken slightly unawares. He had been expecting his parents to want to meet Ryan properly but he hadn't quite expected it to be so soon. "See you later, Mom."

.............................................................................................

Troy's rusty truck slowly crept up to the electronic gates which opened magically in front of him. He drove up the long driveway and stopped to the side of the front door next to Troy's convertible. Before he had even opened the door, Ryan was walking across the driveway toward him. Troy stepped out and slammed the door just as Ryan reached him.

Ryan smiled at Troy and leant forward to give him a brief kiss on the lips.

"Good morning!" He beamed as Troy responded in kind.

"Hey yourself," he replied. Ryan raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"So? How did it go?"

Troy nodded and smiled.

"Very well. Better than I expected. Even Dad seemed fine, it was almost like he was more concerned that I hadn't told him before. I think he felt a little guilty about making me so nervous."

"That's good." Ryan said, seemingly satisfied. "Drink?"

Troy nodded eagerly and they turned and headed toward the house. There was a momentary comfortable silence when Troy unexpectedly reached toward Ryan, grabbing him around his waist and pulling him toward him causing Ryan to shriek. Troy swung around so that he was facing Ryan.

"That little stunt you pulled with the Kleenex, very smooth!" He said, tapping Ryan on the tip of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. "My Dad was _very_ impressed with your intuition."

Ryan grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh really? And what did his son think?" He asked cheekily. Troy leant closer to Ryan's face.

"His son loved it!" He continued, placing his lips on Ryan's. Ryan crept his hands up Troy's neck and cupped his jaw, pulling Troy closer and tracing his tongue across his lips. Troy moaned into Ryan's mouth as their tongues gently caressed each others'. When they pulled apart, Troy rested his forehead against Ryan's and searched his eyes. Ryan was staring at him expectantly.

"Thank you for being you," He said causing Ryan to frown and then grin.

"That's possibly the strangest thing anyone has thanked me for!"

Troy laughed and ruffled Ryan's hair affectionately before shoving him in the direction of his house.

"Now, now, watch the hair!"

Troy grabbed Ryan's lapels and pushed him roughly against the side of an SUV before pressing himself against Ryan and kissing him hard, running his hands roughly through Ryan's hair. Ryan grabbed the belt loops on Troy's jeans and pulled him against his hips. He ran his hands across the rough denim covering Troy's ass as he slipped his hands into Troy's back pockets, his hair forgotten.

The sound of someone clearing their throat broke the moment just as it was getting interesting. Troy sprang back from Troy expecting to find an angry Mr Evans. Instead he found himself looking at Charles.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Master Ryan, but your father will be taking a trip to the club shortly. He will be requiring his car." He nodded politely at Troy. "Master Bolton, so good to see you again."

Troy shrugged a little awkwardly; he wasn't used to being addressed in such a formal manner.

"Troy, please and likewise, Sir."

The three men stood in silence for a few moments before it was broken by the sound of Mr Evans approaching.

"Good morning, Charles! Boys," he regarded warmly as he spotted Troy and Ryan. "Glad you could make it, Troy! I've been hearing wonderful things about you and your father from Ryan here," he exclaimed, "Seems you boys had quite a day on Saturday."

Troy regarded Mr Evans' words for a few moments and tried to gauge his expression. He couldn't quite tell whether Ryan had said anything to his father about their fledgling relationship and Mr Evans wasn't giving anything away much to Troy's discomfort.

_Oh well, I guess no reaction is better than a bad one_, he thought to himself.

Mr Evans waved his briefcase at the boys.

"Sorry I can't stay, I've got a board meeting up at the club. I shouldn't expect to be back before dinner. Ryan, would you let your mother know if you see her? Thanks." He said before nodding to Charles and getting into his car.

Charles turned his attention once more to the younger men.

"Might I suggest I show Master Bolton to the pool house?" Troy nodded and shrugged. Charles turned to Ryan. "I was thinking you boys might like to take a dip in the heated pool. Your mother and sister will be in the steam room for quite some time."

"Sounds great!" Ryan said.

Ryan smirked warmly at Charles who returned it with a twinkle in his eye. Troy got the distinct impression he was missing something but followed them anyway.

Once inside, Charles disappeared momentarily only to re-appear with two large, fluffy bath sheets.

"Your towels," he said, handing them to the boys. "If you require anything else, the telephone is over by the sun loungers. Could I take your drinks order?"

"Two Mai Tais please, Charles," Ryan answered before Troy could speak.

"Very well, I shall be back soon." And with that he left the boys to their fun.

"As nice as this is, I left my speedos at home!" Troy quipped. "Guess I'm just going to have to dive in in my shorts!"

Ryan eyeballed him suggestively.

"Or you could just go skinny-dipping. Charles did say that my mother and Shar would be gone for hours!"

Troy had already begun stripping down to his shorts so he threw Ryan a pearly-white grin and waggled his eyebrows. Ryan was already dressed for the pool underneath his shirt and khakis, however, he took so long to neatly fold his clothes after removing them that Troy got bored waiting. Ryan was mid-way through shaking out his shirt when Troy reached over his shoulder, plucked the offending article out of Ryan's hands and threw it to one side. Ryan was about to protest when Troy scooped Ryan up and threw him into the water. Just as Ryan came spluttering up for air, more shocked than drowned, Troy dived neatly into the pool and Ryan just watched as he gracefully glided back up through the water and broke to the surface with a Baywatch-style shake of his hair.

Ryan watched, subconsciously biting his bottom lip at the sight, before swimming off under the artificial waterfall his parents had installed. Their home pool house much resembled the outdoor pool at the club but a miniature version with far more plants. Troy followed and stepped through the wall of water to find Ryan lying on his side on the shelf with his head resting on his bent arm as though he were reclining on a chaise. They were perfectly concealed from the rest of the room in the cosy little hideout.

Troy waggled his eyebrows.

"Nice speedos!" He said, eyeing Ryan's tight, red trunks.

"Wildcats colours!" He said rather proudly, "See? And for all those years you thought I hated team sports!"

The hideout was shallow enough for Troy to stand up in, the water reaching his shoulders. He waded over to Ryan and Ryan jumped down, swinging his legs lazily over the side of the pool. Troy positioned himself between Ryan's legs and grabbed his ass, pulling him to the edge of the pool. Ryan leant down and captured Troy's lips. He slid off the side of the pool and down to Troy's level, wrapping his legs firmly around Troy to use as leverage to lower himself to the floor of the pool but Troy had other ideas.

Once they were eye to eye, Troy gently pushed Ryan backwards against the side of the pool and placed an arm under each of Ryan's thighs to hold his legs in place. Troy then slowly began to grind his hips into Ryan's. Ryan bit at Troy's lower lip to which Troy responded by sucking on the right side of Ryan's neck where his neck met his shoulder.

Suddenly Troy reached down and slipped a hand beneath the elastic of Ryan's speedos. When his hand made contact with Ryan's skin, Ryan gasped and leant his head back to allow Troy better access to his neck. Troy tentatively stroked two fingers against Ryan and Ryan involuntarily shifted his hips towards Troy. Slowly his strokes became faster and firmer as Ryan pulled Troy's mouth more firmly to his own in a frantic kiss.

"Oh God, Tro-" Ryan began hoarsely but Troy silenced him with another kiss. Suddenly Ryan's vision erupted in a haze of white spots as he threw his head back and his breaths came in shallow, fast bursts. Ryan opened his eyes to find Troy looking very pleased with himself.

"Wow, two minutes, that's a record even for me!" He said, receiving a playful slap from Ryan.

"What can I say? Just seeing you dive into the pool had me half way there." Ryan wrapped his arms around Troy's neck, pulling him closer, "I told you, I wasn't joking the other night when you ran your hand up my spine. You touch me and I feel like I'm about to explode!" He smiled at Troy, "You're getting very comfortable with this very quickly. I mean, I'll admit, my intentions weren't entirely innocent inviting you in here but I really wasn't expecting that!"

Troy shrugged and traced a line across Ryan's collarbone from his shoulder to his neck and then flattened his palm against his chest, "You make me want to... do things to you, ya know?" Troy interlocked his fingers with Ryan's and lifted his left arm above his head leaving Ryan's arm in the air and running his fingers lightly down the inside of Ryan's arm from his wrist to his ribs, causing Ryan to shudder, as Troy started to sing;

_I don't know about the travel of time  
And I've never seen most of the world  
I don't know diving out of the sky  
Or living like the diamonds or pearls  
_

Troy shifted to the side and lifted himself onto the side of the pool with his arms, water trailing down his back. He spun on his heel to face Ryan who was still treading water. He spread his arms and shrugged his shoulders from side to side on the beat.

_  
See I have danced to a musical tune  
And I have noticed the flowers in bloom but  
I haven't smiled  
When alone in my room very much  
Then we touched  
_

He reached down and pulled a surprised Ryan from the water, spinning them both in a circle and using the momentum to wrap Ryan in his arms.

_  
I just know  
When you put your hands on me _

Troy held out his hand and spun Ryan until he hit the edge of the shelf, causing his knees to buckle and sitting him down again on the shelf. Troy lowered himself to Ryan's level and pushed Ryan's torso backwards so that Troy was looming over him. His hand slowly snaked to the waistband of Ryan's speedos, teasing but not going below it.

_  
I feel sexy  
And my body turns to gold  
I just know  
When you put your hands on me  
I feel ready  
And I lose my self-control  
_

"I love the way your skin feels, it's so pale and soft" Troy said wistfully. "You're perfect." He smirked and leant forward to whisper in Ryan's ear, "Even your 'come' face is sexy." And then he began to nip lightly at Ryan's earlobe.

Ryan just stared in shock with his mouth open and pulled his head away slightly from Troy's lips. Troy raised a curious eyebrow.

"What?"

"Who are you and what have you done with Troy Bolton?" Ryan exclaimed mock indignantly, though his smile betrayed his tone. "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?!"

Troy sat up a little straighter.

"Oh, yeah, Mom asked me to invite you to dinner tomorrow night. Her and Dad want to meet 'the boyfriend'."

"Ooo-kaaay," Ryan said hesitantly. Troy smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it, I told you they're cool, I think they just want to show you that."

Ryan eyed Troy sceptically for a few moments and then acquiesced.

"Well, if you're sure then I'm looking forward to it." He replied, beaming. "So, what do your parents drink?"

Troy shook his head amused. Trust Ryan to go straight to the practicalities!

.................................................................................................

A/N: I hope you like, if you have any comments good or bad please don't hesitate to share.

Just, no flaming about content please, I think fair warning was given.


	10. Meet The Parents

Ryan pulled his convertible up outside the Bolton's house and came to a stop just outside the door. He checked his watch; 7.25pm. He quickly checked his reflection in the rear-view mirror before reaching for the wine bottle on the passenger seat and getting out of the car. He was a few minutes early but he figured it didn't matter. Better to be early than to be late. Ryan was trying not to dwell on the situation he was facing, somehow pretending that he wasn't feeling like he was about to walk into an ambush helped to calm his nerves slightly.

Truth was, despite Troy's reassurances, Ryan still felt more than a little nervous. He'd had little experience with meeting the parents and those experiences had not always been the best kind. He rang the doorbell and shuffled his feet awkwardly as he heard footsteps from behind the door. The door swung open and revealed Troy wearing beige slacks and a navy blue shirt. His hair was swept across his face in his usual surfer-dude style and Ryan had to suppress a low whistle. In his attempt to look casual, Troy had inadvertently managed to make himself look... well, Ryan couldn't quite find anything more descriptive than _thunk_.

Troy smiled and greeted Ryan.

"Hey, come on in!" He said warmly as he gestured for Ryan to come in, kissing Ryan quickly on the lips. "We were just finishing up the cooking. My parents are just in the kitchen."

Troy led the way down the hallway towards the most wonderful smell of sizzling roast. Troy swung the kitchen door open to reveal Mrs Bolton placing a steaming tray of roasted vegetables on top of the stove and Mr Bolton standing next to the kettle wearing a maroon striped apron and stirring a jug of gravy. When Mrs Bolton spotted Ryan she hastily placed down her tray, slipped off her oven gloves and walked towards him smiling.

"Hello, Ryan, how are you? It's good to see you again."

Ryan nodded his head politely, his nerves going down a notch at Mrs Bolton's friendly greeting.

"I'm very well thank you, Mrs Bolton," he said, taking her hand and kissing it. Mrs Bolton looked pleasantly surprised at the old-fashioned gesture and blushed slightly. "And yourself?"

"Ellen," she replied with a smile, "Oh, we're just great, thank you. Dinner will be ready in a moment, sorry for running a little late the roast took longer to cook than I thought."

Ryan nodded again and held out his gift.

"Troy said that you liked red so I brought a Merlot. I hope that's ok?" He said, handing over the bottle of wine. Mrs Bolton took it gratefully.

"That's very sweet of you," she said, "I'm sure it'll go nicely with dinner. Would you like a drink while we wait on dinner?"

"Sure, I'll just have a glass of water if that's ok?"

Mr Bolton placed down the gravy and stepped towards the sink, filling a glass and handing it to Ryan.

"Here you go, Ryan," He said with a slightly awkward smile. He extended his hand which Ryan took and shook.

"Mr Bolton, it's good to see you, Sir."

He shook his head.

"Jack, please. Have you been practising that swing?"

"Sadly not, Sir. I've spent the past few days with my Dad on the golf course up at the club."

Jack Bolton looked surprisingly impressed with Ryan's last statement and turned to his wife.

"Is there any sport this guy doesn't play?" He turned back to Ryan and smiled, "Next you're going to tell me that you're a shooting guard for the Knicks!"

Ryan chuckled with restraint.

"Not quite, Sir."

Behind them, Mrs Bolton clunked the plates as she removed them from their warming shelf in the oven.

"Dinner is ready. Troy, would you mind taking Ryan into the dining room?" She turned to her husband and handed the bottle of wine to him. "Here, honey, why don't you uncork the wine and set the glasses out?" Mr Bolton nodded and started rummaging around in the cutlery drawer for the corkscrew just as Troy motioned towards the dining room.

"It's just in here, Ry," he said and Ryan went ahead of him with his glass in hand.

When Ryan had turned his back, Troy looked back at his mother and gestured with his eyebrows to his father, smiling. His mother snuck a glance at her husband who was pre-occupied with the wine and grinned back at him. Troy turned back to follow Ryan into the dining room.

When he walked through the door, Ryan hesitated just short of the table and looked back at Troy who smiled at him and nudged him affectionately with his elbow; Ryan grinned coyly. Troy pulled out a chair next to his own seat and took a seat next to Ryan. His parents came in and placed the dinner plates down onto the table. Mrs Bolton passed around the vegetables as Mr Bolton carved the roast and then they placed the cutlery and crockery down and Mr Bolton cleared his throat.

Ellen took Jack's hand and placed them on the table top as Troy placed his upturned palm on the tablecloth and looked expectantly at Ryan. Ryan glanced awkwardly at Troy's parents before hesitantly placing his hand on top of Troy's. They all bowed their heads as Mr Bolton said grace, much to Ryan's surprise, and once he was finished, Mr and Mrs Bolton shook out their napkins and placed them neatly across their laps as Troy followed but not before briefly stroking his fingers across Ryan's as he let go of his hand. Ryan squirmed almost imperceptibly in his seat. He knew Troy was trying to reassure him but Ryan couldn't help the momentary flashback he got of their previous day's pool incident and the memory of exactly what those fingers had – _Now is _not_ the time_, he snapped at himself firmly before tucking into his meal.

......................................................................

"So, Ryan, how's school going? Troy said you were at Juilliard," Mrs Bolton asked.

"Oh, it's awesome!" Ryan gushed. No matter how many times he answered that question, he never got tired of, or unenthused by, his studies. "They've got such brilliant teachers and the studios and music rooms are better than I could've imagined!"

"Oh? What are you studying?" She continued.

"Choreography and composition," he said smiling and then his smile faded as he waited for Mr Bolton's reaction. Sports were one thing but he was pretty sure Mr Bolton wouldn't approve of something as flamboyant as dancing.

"Classical piano, huh? I never could play even though I had lessons for years," Troy's mother said smiling genuinely, "You must be very talented to have won a place at Juilliard."

Ryan blushed and hesitated to reply.

"Yeah, well, you saw the show, Mom. Ry choreographed the whole thing and more." Troy said, after swallowing a mouthful of potato. "Heck, he made me look good dancing! That's not easy, I can tell you!"

Ryan smiled nervously and stared down at his plate.

"I had a college roommate whose best buddy was a dancer," Mr Bolton chimed in and Ryan's eyes shot up to his. "He wasn't great on the court but he could more than hold his own against any of my teammates in the gym when it came to fitness."

Troy was halted with his cutlery mid-stab as he stared at his father with his eyes wide. He never knew that his father had ever _met_ any dancers, never mind knowing any.

Jack paused as he looked up at his son's astonished face and threw him a '_what'_ stare before continuing.

"He was pretty flexible too. He taught my guys a few tricks to stop them from pulling their hamstrings after a long day of training. Good guy."

Troy chose that moment to choke on a brussel sprout and quickly silenced himself with a gulp of water. Mrs Bolton regarded her husband with much the same look as Troy had moments earlier.

"I never knew that, sweetie."

He turned to face her.

"Yeah, you remember Rob Satterfield? He married Sadie James a few years ago and they moved to England." Ellen nodded in comprehension.

"I didn't know he studied dance."

"Yeah, but he tore a ligament in his knee so after college he went into PR instead."

Mrs Bolton regarded her husband with a fascinated smile as she surreptitiously dabbed the corner of her mouth with her napkin.

"Would you like another glass of wine, Ryan?" She asked but he held up a hand.

"No thank you, I still have half a glass."

"OK, well be sure to save some room for dessert, I made a rhubarb and blackberry pie," she said smiling.

..............................................................

After dinner was finished, Ryan and Troy helped the Boltons to carry the plates into the kitchen but Ellen insisted that the boys head into the den where they would join them as soon as they had loaded the dishwasher.

Ryan and Troy followed the request and disappeared down the hall. Mrs Bolton turned to her husband who passed her a plate and a handful of cutlery.

"You seemed to be getting on well with Ryan," she observed non-judgementally.

"He seems like a decent guy," Jack admitted and then smirked and added, "for a dancer."

When Ellen glanced over at him, his eyes were shining gleefully almost daring her to react to the comment. She chuckled and resumed her task. It was quickly finished and Jack re-filled their wine glasses before motioning towards the den.

"Shall we?"

They walked down the hallway in a comfortable silence and paused when they got to the door. Troy and Ryan were sitting on the sofa watching an episode of 'Numb3rs' but Troy had his head resting on Ryan's shoulder and their hands were entwined on Ryan's knee. From the angle of the sofa the two boys hadn't noticed them.

Ellen looked up at her husband, her eyes tearing up and she smiled. Her husband looked down at her with a frown and rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on, don't you remember when you were that age?" She whispered to Jack.

He stared at her with a pointed look.

"I... I'm not used to it, that's all. Honestly I find it a little weird to see Troy holding another guy's hand. I know, I know," he said, responding to the admonishing stare she was giving him, "Give me time," he said.

Troy noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and turned his head to find his parents standing in the doorway. Ryan sensed Troy's shift in attention and sat up straighter, shifting slightly from Troy so that their hands and thighs weren't touching anymore.

"Hey Mom, Dad," Troy said, "All done? Ry and I were just watching some TV."

"No problem, son," Jack said, stepping into the room, "Carry on."

At that moment, Mrs Bolton stifled a yawn and proceeded to look embarrassed.

"Oh, excuse me, I guess I had one glass of wine too many," she said turning pink.

Ryan stood up and looked between Troy and his parents.

"It's getting late, I should probably get going."

Mrs Bolton hurried to tell him to stay but he politely refused.

"It's been a wonderful evening, Mr and Mrs Bolton, but I have to be up early to visit my Grandparents. They always expect us to visit the day before Christmas Eve." Troy stood up and walked towards his parents. "Thank you for a delicious dinner, and thank you for inviting me."

Mrs Bolton smiled.

"Not at all, Ryan! We were glad of the chance to get to spend some time with you, get to know you a little. You know, now that you and Troy are dating."

Ryan blushed furiously at that and refused to look at either of them.

"Troy hasn't stopped talking about you all week, and now I can see why-"

Ryan looked like he was wishing the floor would open up and eat him and it didn't do unnoticed by Troy. He cleared his throat loudly.

"_Ahem_, yes thank you, Mom!" Troy said, blushing a little and giving his Mom a pointed stare, "I'll just get Ryan's jacket."

Jack Bolton extended his hand to Ryan.

"I hope you had a good time. Thank you for the wine, I must ask you where you buy it from next time."

Ryan's eyes bulged slightly as he comprehended what Mr Bolton had just said. He grinned and returned the handshake with vigour.

"I certainly will, Mr Bolton. Thank you again for the meal."

Troy gestured to the hallway and Ryan took it as his cue.

"Goodbye, Mr and Mrs Bolton and Merry Christmas,"

"Bye Ryan, have a safe trip home," Mrs Bolton said motherly.

"Goodbye, son. Merry Christmas to you too!" Mr Bolton replied and Troy and Ryan disappeared around the doorway.

.......................................................................

Troy handed Ryan's jacket to him as he placed his scarf around his neck.

"Well, you were a hit!" Troy exclaimed, grinning. "I thought Dad was about to offer you a spot on his team!"

"Your parents seem great, I had a good time tonight," Ryan said.

Troy took hold of his hand.

"I kinda wish you could stay, my room is going to be cold on my own." He sighed, "But you have to be up early and I have some last-minute shopping to do so it's probably not a good idea."

Ryan squeezed his hand.

"I know, but I'll call you tomorrow. Thanks for tonight."

Ryan opened the door and stepped outside into the cold.

"Goodnight," he whispered and Troy stepped onto the top step with him.

"'Night," he replied, leaning towards Ryan and pressing his lips against Ryan's. Ryan gripped the sides of Troy's shirt in his fists and pressed his tongue against Troy's lips. Troy opened his mouth and pushed his tongue into Ryan's mouth, stroking Ryan's tongue with his own. When Ryan pulled back he looked slightly dazed.

"To be continued," he said, reluctantly letting go of Troy's shirt and walking away down the steps. Troy waved as Ryan got into his car and pulled away. When he was gone, Troy smiled and shut the door. The evening had been the most unexpectedly awesome evening of his life.

........................................................................

**A/N: Well, as I said, I hope you're enjoying it so far. I love the reviews so far if you have an opinion please give me feedback **


	11. The Teaser

Troy and Ryan had both been kept unsurprisingly busy over the Christmas holiday weekend and in the week that followed they'd only managed to sneak a few hours here and there to spend any time together at all. They tried to make the most of the few moments they'd had, both knowing that the New Year loomed and with it came the return to their schools and a separation of thousands of miles. When Ryan thought about it too much he almost reduced himself to tears so he tried to push the thought to one side and enjoy Troy while he still had him.

Never in his wildest dreams would Ryan have ever thought he would be in a relationship with Troy. It was kind of the unspoken rule; never actually date your fantasy man because it leaves you with nothing to dream about and it rarely turns out the way it did in your head but Ryan's imaginings turned out to be alarmingly close to the truth. At times he had to pinch himself, it all seemed too good to be true. More than once Ryan had found himself watching Troy for any sign that it was all a cruel practical joke that was about to come crashing down around him but if it was, Troy deserved an Oscar.

When Ryan had first started dating he's been so eager to give his heart away but having been hurt several times he was now more guarded and it was fair to say that some of his self-confidence had been worn away over time too. Not that he tried to show it, of course. Outwardly Ryan was a cheerful soul, a person whom much to Ryan's shock had been described by a good friend as being the 'Charlotte York-Goldenblatt' of the group. A person who was happy at least once a day, every day. He had to admit he'd been flattered , but he certainly didn't _feel_ that way. At least not all of the time.

He'd never been in a long-distance relationship and Ryan found himself questioning whether it could work, especially such a fledgling one but he decided that if Troy was willing to try then so would he. There was, however, still one thing weighing on his mind. It was the one thing that up until now neither of them had openly discussed. There was no doubt that Troy was incredibly turned on by Ryan but so far he'd focussed only on Ryan's physical pleasure and Ryan felt that it was time that he returned the favour. He picked up his cell phone and dialled Troy's number.

"Hello?" Came the voice on the other end.

"Troy, hey, how's things?" Ryan asked cheerfully.

"Oh, hey Ry, I'm good thanks though I'm being kept insanely busy by the parentals!" He said, smiling. "Actually I was meaning to call you. I'm free tonight if you're up for doing something."

Troy had said it so innocently but Ryan's mouth curved into a sly grin as the dual meaning of his words brought some _very_ un-PG thoughts to his mind. Shaking himself, Ryan responded.

"Uh, yeah, I was thinking I could cook dinner for you tonight. Mom, Dad and Shar are going to Aunt Marg's tonight so I've got the place all to myself for the night. How about it?"

Troy paused, sensing that there was more to Ryan's words than it first seemed. He considered for a moment too long.

"Troy? Are you still there?" Ryan asked nervously.

"Oh, yeah, sorry Ry. I just got distracted by my neighbour putting some really funky-looking thing out onto his lawn," Troy lied, "Dinner sounds like a plan! What time?"

Ryan checked his watch. It was 10.30am.

"Uh, how about we say 6.30?"

Troy nodded.

"Sure thing." Ryan heard someone shouting in the background. "Look I've gotta go help my Mom load up the car so I'll see you later, ok?"

Ryan sensed that Troy was feeling a little harassed.

"No worries, see you later Troy have a good day,"

Troy must have realised how he was sounding and immediately regretted it.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I'm just a little pre-occupied at the moment. I can't wait to see you, bye hone-," he said, stopping abruptly and taking Ryan by surprise.

"Uh, yeah, me too," he said reeling, "I'll see you later, _babe_!" and he hung up before Troy could respond. _Ha, two can play at that game!, _Ryan smirked as he realised that Troy had indeed just called him 'honey'.

...............................................................

Troy walked up to the open door and stuck his head around looking for Charles but he was nowhere to be seen. Ryan's voice suddenly echoed from somewhere beyond the hall.

"In the kitchen!" He yelled, as Troy smiled and followed the sound, closing the door behind him.

He stepped into the kitchen to find Ryan stirring a pot of something on the stove which smelled heavenly. He was dressed in gunmetal grey trousers and a button-down black shirt which was partially obscured by the green chef apron he was wearing. Troy walked over and kissed Ryan on the cheek and reached out to cover the hand that was holding the wooden spoon with his own.

"Charles get the night off?" Troy enquired as he helped Ryan to stir the food.

"Yes, he's visiting his family in Maine this week so I'm afraid you're stuck with my attempt at cooking." Ryan said with a smile.

Troy leant over the pan and tasted a mouthful of the delightful-looking stew.

"Mmmm!," he exclaimed through closed lips, "I didn't know you could cook as well as dance!"

Ryan pointed the spoon in the direction of a loaf of sliced bread on the table.

"This should be ready in a few minutes, why don't you go through there and sit down?"

Troy nodded and picked up the basket containing the loaf, heading into the breakfast room next door. What greeted Troy was a small table set for two, a candle lit in the centre and a bottle of red wine open and breathing by its side. Just as Troy was marvelling at the effort Ryan had gone to he walked in carrying two steaming plates. Ryan placed them down and took his apron off, hanging it on an arm of a chair before gesturing to Troy to take a seat.

"Wow, Ry, you really shouldn't have gone to all of this effort," Troy said appreciatively.

"It's not often I get this place to myself," Ryan said, "and, besides, I like to treat my boyfriends once in a while."

Troy raised an eyebrow cheekily.

"Oh? So I'm not the only guy in your life right now?"

"Well, you know, I managed to squeeze you in between Leo and Zac," Ryan teased and held Troy's gaze for a few moments before continuing, "DiCaprio and Efron, that is. I always thought they'd be good together in a movie." Ryan regarded Troy with an intense scrutiny, "Actually, has anyone ever told you that you look like Zac Efron?"

Troy frowned.

"Who's he?"

Ryan waved a hand.

"Oh, you know, that guy from the movie version of 'Hairspray'." Troy looked blankly, "Nevermind. So, let's eat up before it starts to get cold." Ryan continued, taking a mouthful of stew.

................................................................................

**A/N: I know, slightly cheesy. It's short and I'm teasing slightly but I couldn't resist. I'll update the rest of this chapter as soon as I have the time to finish it.**


	12. New and Old Flames

**A/N: The song is 'Lay All Your Love On Me' by Abba (sung by Amanda Seyfried and Dom Cooper in 'Mamma Mia') **

**Sorry for the wait, enjoy!**

....................................................

Troy patted his stomach and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Ry, that was awesome! Where did you learn to cook?"

Ryan smiled and stood before lifting up the plates and carrying them into the kitchen. Troy followed him carrying their wine glasses.

"We've had quite a few resident chefs over the years, I picked up a thing or two along the way," Ryan said as he placed the plates on the kitchen counter and opened the dishwasher to fill it with their dinnerware.

Troy put their half-empty glasses next to the sink and drained his.

"More wine?" He offered to Ryan but he politely declined. Ryan was about to offer Troy the option of watching a DVD when the doorbell rang. Troy turned to the hallway, startled, and Ryan frowned.

"I wasn't expecting anyone else," Ryan said, closing the dishwasher, "I'll get rid of them as quickly as I can!" He announced as he walked out of the room.

Ryan walked towards the enormous front door and unlocked it.

"Ryan, sweetie! Long time, no see, babe!" Ryan just stared, "You gonna let me in?" The guy on the other side of the door yelled enthusiastically and Ryan's face turned icy.

"Cal, what the hell are you doing here?!"

......................................................................................................................................

Cal stepped towards Ryan who was blocking the doorway.

"What's wrong? You so shocked to see me that you're speechless in my presence?" He said, grinning.

Ryan was not impressed at Cal's nonchalant attitude. Ryan crossed his arms across his chest and smiled coolly at Cal.

"Figures you would assume that. You always were a self-absorbed moron."

Cal feigned hurt and placed a hand across his chest dramatically.

"Me? Now, why would you say that? I don't remember you complaining about me. Unless you count screaming my name complaining!" He said waggling his eyebrows.

Ryan swallowed loudly.

"If I recall I wasn't the only one!"

Cal smiled.

"That almost sounded like a compliment, babe!" He grinned smugly.

Ryan snorted.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I meant to accuse you!" He said harshly. He gestured casually to Cal's car which was sitting in the driveway. "Anyway, I'm busy, what do you want? I don't think you left anything behind."

Cal stepped forwards and placed his hands on Ryan's forearms.

"Well, you know, I realised that I may have made a mistake. I was stupid, I never should have ended things the way I did." He leant forward towards Ryan's lips, "C'mon, you know how good things were..."

Ryan violently shook Cal's hands off him and pushed him away and back onto the doorstep.

"You show up on my doorstep after everything you've done and expect me to just take you back? I thought you were selfish but you really are delusional if you think I'm that lacking in self-worth!"

"Oh, Ryan, you don't need to put on an act," He leant in to whisper seductively in Ryan's ear and placed a hand on Ryan's waist, " I know you need to know I value your emotional needs but I think we both know you can't resist me."

"Let go of me," Ryan said in a warning tone; his eyes were gleaming with disgust.

"Come on, Ryan, just let me in," Cal said cheerily.

"The only thing you will ever be touching again is the electronic gates on the way out," Ryan said through gritted teeth, "I don't love you anymore. I don't even like you, so get the HELL off my stoop before I-"

"Oh, and what's skinny Ryan Evans going to do to me, eh?" Cal interrupted, his tone turning nasty.

"I don't know what he's going to do to you but he's gonna have to get in line because if you don't get out of here his *boyfriend* is going to kick your ass!" Troy said, appearing from the kitchen. "You must be the ex," he said jovially, his thin smile betraying the anger boiling beneath.

"Ah, *boyfriend*, did you say?" Cal said, "I don't believe we've met!"

"No, and sadly, this will be the last time," Troy said, his tone full of sarcasm, "Troy Bolton."

Cal appraised Troy with a roaming eye and a lustful expression, causing Ryan's hackles to rise.

"What did you pay for him then? A car? A modelling contract? Must have been something, you're not that good at giving head!"

Before Ryan could stop him, Troy had snaked a hand up the front of Ryan's shirt and enveloped him in his arms. Troy began kissing Ryan's neck and using his free hand to slowly undo the buttons on Ryan's shirt one by one. Ryan's eyes darkened and he bit his lip trying to stifle a moan. As much as he was enjoying this, he would have preferred not to have had an audience. Cal just stared; he'd been expecting Troy to lunge at him. Troy looked up, apparently having momentarily forgotten that Cal was there.

"You still here?" He said quietly, "Funny, I heard Ryan say 'leave', but maybe you're just too dumb to grasp the concept. Now, if you don't mind, we're busy so do yourself a favour and leave before you embarrass yourself any more," Troy said sweetly.

Cal went to retort but Ryan beat him to it.

"Clearly it's over, Cal. Now save us all the hassle of having to remove you from my driveway. Tootles!" He said chirpily and closed the door in Cal's shocked face.

...........................................................................................................

Ryan turned to Troy and grinned at him.

"Thank you. I'm sorry you had to deal with that. With him."

Troy shrugged.

"Self absorbed much, huh?" Troy said indicating to the door where Cal had been standing. "I can see why it didn't work out!" Troy smirked at Ryan, "I should probably thank him really. If he hadn't been such an asshole I wouldn't be standing here right now."

Ryan smiled.

"Yeah good point. Forget him, I did a long time ago. Anyway, I've got a surprise for you upstairs."

Troy raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I figured you wouldn't want to drive home after the wine so I set up the guest room." He took Troy's hand, "Check it out."

Ryan led Troy up the spiral staircase and along the corridor on the opposite side of his house to Ryan's own room. The corridor ended in a set of wooden inlayed double doors and Ryan stopped just shy of them.

"Close your eyes," he said, placing his palms over Troy's eyes until he was sure he had closed them. Then, he quietly opened the doors and led Troy inside. When Troy opened his eyes he was greeted with the sight of a presidential hotel suite. On one side was a four poster sleigh bed and on the other was a roaring log fire. It was tastefully decorated in dark mahogany, cream and blood red. Troy turned to face Ryan.

"We really are worlds apart, aren't we? My family could never even afford this on vacation!"

Ryan shrugged.

"It's just money, Troy. And, believe it or not, despite what Cal thinks, it can't buy you love."

Troy nodded and stared at the fireplace. He seemed suddenly distant. Ryan walked over to him and blocked his view.

"Hey Troy, you ok?"

Troy sighed and stared at Ryan and began to sing.

" I wasn't jealous before we met

Now every man I see is a potential threat

Now everything is new

And all I've learned has overturned

I beg of you

Don't go wasting your emotions

Lay all your love on me"

Ryan smiled and took Troy's hand.

" It was like shooting a sitting duck

A little small-talk, a smile and, baby, I was stuck

I still don't know what you've done with me

A grown up guy should never fall so easily

Unsatisfied, I skip my pride, I beg you dear"

Troy pulled Ryan closer to him and they both began to harmonise

"Don't go wasting your emotions

Lay all your love on me

Don't go sharing your devotions,

Lay all your love on me"

Ryan led Troy over to the bed, lay down and pulled Troy down on top of him. He ran a hand through Troy's hair as he explained.

" I've had a few little love affairs

They didn't last very long

And they've been pretty scarce"

Troy nodded and smiled knowingly

"I used to think that that was sensible

It makes the truth even more incomprehensible

'Cause everything is new,

And everything is you

And all I've learned has over turned.

What can I do?"

Ryan rolled Troy over so that Ryan was straddling him.

"I know one thing you can do... or maybe it's what I can do for you."

Ryan continued smugly, snaking his hand towards Troy's jeans. He slowly undid the buttons on Troy's shirt from the hem upwards, kissing Troy's toned abs as he went. When the last button had been undone, Ryan pushed Troy's shirt fully open and as his hands traced the curves of Troy's torso, he focused his lips on Troy's pectoral muscles. His tongue traced the line between his muscles and then suddenly he altered his attention to focus on Troy's erect nipple. He gently bit down causing Troy to squirm underneath him. Ryan began to unfasten Troy's jeans as his mouth continued to explore Troy's muscles and Troy held up a hand to unfasten Ryan's shirt but Ryan stopped him.

"You had your turn in the pool," he whispered throatily, "Now it's my turn to have some fun!"

Ryan pulled down the waistband of Troy's pants and began to brush feather-light strokes across Troy through his Calvin Kleins. Troy growled. Ryan removed the remainder of Troy's clothes and stared in awe. Troy was beautiful and the firelight made his skin glow golden. Ryan ran his hand up the inside of Troy's thigh causing him to shudder with anticipation. Then Ryan took Troy's hardened erection in his mouth. Ryan slowly began to run his lips up and down causing Troy to moan loudly. Ryan smiled and continued his ministrations. Troy placed his hands in Ryan's hair; it was so silky and Troy loved the feel of it between his fingers. A few moments later Troy's breathing began to shallow.

"Uh, Ry, you might want to stop." Apparently Troy's request had fallen on deaf ears. Or perhaps Troy hadn't actually said it out loud. He wasn't sure since his ears didn't seem to be functioning. He tried again. "Ry, stop. Please."

Ryan paused and glanced up at Troy.

"Too much?"

Troy smiled.

"No, I just didn't want to explode all over your face!"

Ryan grinned, pinned Troy's hands by his side and carried on. Troy yelled and then swore out loud.

"God! Ah, I'd appreciate a little more warnin-, Ry!" He yelled, suddenly, gripping the sheets in his fists and lifting his hips off the bed.

Ryan then licked upthe sweat beads on Troy's stomach and chest before Troy wrapped his arms around Ryan and pushed his tongue into his mouth. Troy could taste himself on Ryan's tongue and he moaned into Ryan's mouth. Troy pulled back from Ryan and traced a finger down his neck.

"If I didn't love you already, Cal's wrong, that would've made me love you all over"

Ryan stared at Troy.

"Is that a promise?"

"You betcha!" Troy said, pushing Ryan over and kissing him deeply.

..............................................................................

**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long for me to update, I've been very busy over the festive season and had a few other things to deal with. I hope you liked this chapter, whatever you thought please review!**


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